


These Wings Are Made to Fly

by Myoneloveismusic



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Canon Compliant, I don't know what else to tag, M/M, Soulmate AU, Wing Tattoos, soulmate identifying marks, soulmate markings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2017-03-04
Packaged: 2018-08-09 12:38:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7802179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myoneloveismusic/pseuds/Myoneloveismusic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When you meet your soulmate, you get your wings. Eggsy wishes they were real wings and not tattoos, but he doesn't have them either way. He meets his soulmate in an unexpected place and is completely caught off guard when his wings form. Although in hindsight, it should be obvious. Eggsy must learn to navigate the tricky world of soulmates where wings can easily be mistaken to learn who truly has his heart and whose heart he has.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is all speaking-of-tailors's fault. I would've written more, but I'm tapped out for the night so this is what you get. I probably won't keep this in the regular loop with my other wips, but it also depends how much attention this gets. So if you like what you read and you like the idea let me know. The less feedback I get, the less motivated I'll be to continue. 
> 
> This is also my first Kingsman fic. Just warning you. 
> 
> Cheers! I'm going to bed. 
> 
> <3 MOLIM

                Eggsy had wondered. He’d pondered and wondered and dreamed and hoped. About what exactly? About _wings._ He knew it was foolish, knew that the soulmate marks that eventually adorned people were not real wings, but oh how he hoped. Wondered, pondered, dreamed. Dreamed that when he finally got his marks they wouldn’t be like the ink that adorned other people’s back. That he would somehow sprout real wings and could fly away. Fly away with his soulmate who wouldn’t even consider leaving him with Dean and his mum. And even though Eggsy would be sad to leave her and didn’t really want to, he knew that he would.

                Knew that he couldn’t bear to catch the small glimpses that he did of his own mum’s wings. The ink that had lost its color, lost its allure. The dark wings that had turned black and shriveled and gained a skeletal appearance ever since his father, her soulmate, died. Eggsy thought that they’d disappear one of these days with the treatment she’d received from Dean. Ever since the two of them had gotten together, her wings had steadily gotten worse. He had no idea whether Dean had the identifying marks on his back, if he ever had them, or if he ever would.

                Eggsy had watched other people. People who had already found their soulmates or were finding their soulmates. Of course it had already happened to his own two friends, Jamal and Ryan. It was a bit of a relief actually. He didn’t have to watch them tip-toe around each other anymore. They could be his sappy soulmate friends who loved each other while he waited and dreamed and _hoped_.

                Of course he heard things. Knew the general myths and talk. Getting your wings hurt, but it was unsure how much they would hurt. Jamal had said that it felt almost as though he was getting a tattoo. His mum had once told him that her skin felt irritated and itchy, almost as though it was being burned. Eggsy remembered feeling some sort of tickling sensation on his back when he was younger, but when he rushed to the bathroom to get a look, there’d been nothing there. That first sense of disappointment hadn’t stopped his hoping and wondering, though.

                Eggsy revisited these thoughts and ideas while the police officer was droning on in front of him. He noticed him stop speaking and figured saying something at least would be his best option.

                “I want to exercise my right to a phone call,” he said, bitterly.

                The officer said something back to him that he didn’t bother to pay attention to. As soon as he was left alone in the room, he pulled the medal from around his neck and dialed the numbers into his cell.

                “Customer complaints, how may I help you?” a woman’s voice asked form the other end of the line.

                “Um, my name’s Eggsy Unwin-sorry-Gary Unwin and I’m up shit creek. I’m in Hoban Police Station, and my mum said to call this number if ever I needed help-“

                “Sorry, Love, wrong number.”

                Eggsy felt panic rise up in his chest. “Wait! Wait-“ his mind reeled, trying to remember the words that had been told to him so many years ago. “Oxfords not Brogues?” he asked, hesitantly.

                The line was silent for a moment. “Your complaint has been duly noted, and we hope we have not lost you as a loyal customer.”

                Before Eggsy could say anything else, the woman hung up and left him listening to a dial tone. He wasn’t sure what that meant, but hoped that it was something good. That he wasn’t about to be locked up for the next year and half, but he couldn’t escape the worry. Couldn’t escape the fear that everything was still going to go to shit and he’d have no way to get out of this. Wondered briefly, to his own embarrassment, what would happen if this would cause him to miss meeting his soulmate. If he would be responsible for someone else going through the rest of their life wondering what had happened to him and why they didn’t want them.

                Cold fear started to curl into a tight ball inside his stomach. Several minutes passed before someone pushed through the door roughly. He was wearing a scowl on his face and was obviously not pleased with whatever news he was there to bring.

                “Unwin. You’re cleared.”

                Eggsy stared at him dumbly. “I’m what?”

                “You’re cleared. Now get out.”

                Without needing to be told twice, Eggsy nearly vaulted across the room and out the door. He hastily made his way through the police station as people waved him out and walked through the front doors in a daze. He couldn’t believe this was happening. Couldn’t believe that it could possibly be real. He’d been freed. He was out. The whole deal with the medal wasn’t some crazy shit or prank. It had actually worked.

                “Eggsy,” he whirled around at the sound of his name. “Would you like a lift home?”

                Eggsy furrowed his brow. “Who are you?”

                He smiled and Eggsy took in his bespoke suit and brown sunglasses.

                “The man who got you released.”

                Eggsy nearly scoffed and shook his head. “That ain’t an answer.”

                The man cocked his head. “A little gratitude would be nice. My name is Harry Hart and I gave you that medal. Your father saved my life.”

                Eggsy felt as though his whole world had just been upended. This man, Harry, had known his father. They’d worked together in the military and Eggsy had seen one of the most sexual fistfights in his entire life that was definitely _not_ the training of the military. Or if it was, Eggsy was ready to go and enlist a second time so that he could learn the good stuff and not just basic.

                He walked home in a daze, not even caring that Dean was there when he got home. At least, hadn’t been caring until a hand was pressed underneath his throat and Dean was spitting in his face. Eggsy struggled against his grip, trying to free himself. He didn’t even know what Dean was yelling about, just that it had something to do with a man and a pub and-oh…Eggsy realized that he was talking about Harry.

                “I don’t know nuthin’! I don’t know what the fuck you’re on about!”

                The punches and slaps he could handle. That was nothing new and he’d been on the receiving end of those attacks for so long that they were nothing but a dull numbness that didn’t even register. It wasn’t until there was a knife pointing in his face that fear and another surge of adrenaline flooded through him, overtaking his senses. Being beaten he could handle. Could clamp down on the surges of hatred and anger when he saw Dean raise a hand against his mother. But fuck it all if he was about to let himself die at the hands of this man.

                “I would know.” The calm voice that suddenly filled the apartment brought an overwhelming sense of relief to Eggsy. He’d only known Harry for a few hours, but knew that he was someone who could be trusted. If he wasn’t being shoved against the refrigerator and didn’t have a knife in his face, Eggsy thought that he probably would’ve gone completely relaxed. The rumbling tenor of the man’s voice soothing all of the tension from his body. A small prickle on his back made him fidget uncomfortably, but it was gone before he could identify what the sensation was.

                Following the instructions that seemingly came from nowhere, he threw himself from the apartment, easily avoiding Dean’s goons and using his well-trusted path down the railings and concrete structure of the apartment complex. Eggsy left what had used to be his home easily without looking back. He stuffed his hands into his pockets as he walked, heading towards the wealthier part of town where the tailor shop was located.

                The streets were nearly empty by the time he found the place that Harry had told him about. For a minute, he was afraid that the shop would be closed and he was too late, but upon further inspection the sign still clearly said ‘open’ and peering through the door’s glass, he could see Harry seated inside. He was nursing a glass of whisky and watched him as he walked through the door. Oddly enough, the attention sent shivers racing up his spine and the tingling sensation on his back returned.

                “I’ve never met a tailor before, but I’m pretty sure you ain’t one.”

                Harry drained the rest of his whisky and stood from the couch. “Come with me.”

                He was led into one of the changing rooms and left to face a mirror. It was odd having Harry standing behind him and pay so much attention to him, but not unwelcome.

                “What do you see?”

                “Someone who wants to know what the fuck is going on,” Eggsy answered, shaking his head in disbelief.

                Harry shifted. “I see a young man with potential. A young man who is loyal who can do as he’s asked and wants to do something good with his life. I’m offering you the opportunity to become a Kingsman.”

                “A tailor?”

                “A Kingsman agent,” Harry shot back, expression hardening.

                “Like a spy.”

                “Of sorts.” Eggsy scoffed. “You interested?”

                “You think I’ve got anything to lose?”

                Harry lips quirked into a smile and he placed his hand against the mirror activating the floor below them to move. Slowly they sank into the depths of the building until they were met with a tube. It reminded Eggsy of the Underground. If the Underground was for their own private use anyway.

                Eggsy stared in awe at the building around them when they arrived. The sheer amount of equipment-planes, cars, missiles-was incredible. He nearly tripped several times as Harry led him through the halls since he couldn’t stop staring at the walls or the ceiling and wondering if this was actually real and he was actually experiencing it. They turned one last corner and came upon a bald bespectacled man holding a clipboard.

                “Galahad,” he greeted in a thick Scottish accent, “late again, sir.”

                “Good luck,” Harry told Eggsy.

                “In you go,” the man said, directing Eggsy through the doorway in front of them.

                Giving both men one last look, Eggsy walked through the door to find a group of mostly men and two woman standing around chatting. He immediately felt out of place compared to the posh attire the rest of them were wearing. Before Eggsy or the group could greet each other, the bespectacled man spoke up from behind him.

                “Fall in.”

                Everyone immediately stood at attention and Eggsy found his spot among them easily thanks to his days of military training. It was an old and familiar comfort lining up in ranks once again.

                “Ladies and Gentleman, my name is Merlin. You are about to embark on what is probably the most dangerous job interview in the world.”

                As Merlin continued with his introductions, Eggsy soaked all of the information in. He was still wary of this whole situation and how much truth it held, every word that had been spoken to him so far had seemingly rung with the weight of truth behind it. He was careful not to trust the sincerity too much, knowing that such things could be faked with enough skill and practice. His words strangely didn’t hold the same meaning as Harry’s had. Eggsy didn’t dwell on why that was.

                He was slightly disturbed by the instructions with the body bag, but seemed to be the only person alarmed at the information that he was being given and the threat that was left hanging in the air. After Merlin excused himself, Eggsy approached the only bed that didn’t have a suitcase or some form of claim next to it.

                “Roxanne, but my friends call me Roxy,” the woman who he’d been standing next to spoke up.

                Eggsy looked over her for a minute before taking hold of her hand. “I’m Eggsy.”

                “Eggy?” a voice drawled from behind him. Eggsy turned to find the man who’d identified the body bag standing there with his hands on his hips. “And where’d they dig you up from?”

                “You know we’re not allowed to discuss who proposed us?” Roxy broke in, voice revealing her incredulity.

                “No need to bite his head off. Charlie’s only making conversation-right Charlie?” another spoke up joining the group. “I’m Digby.”

                “Digby,” Eggsy repeated.

                “Eggy, this is Rufus. Rufus-Eggy.” Eggsy shook their hands in turn.

                “So, Eggy. Oxford or Cambridge?” Rufus asked.

                Eggsy rolled his eyes. “Neither.”

                He ignored the jabs they made at where he was from and turned his attention back to the body bag. He grudgingly filled out the information and left it to be collected with the others. Since it was so late there was nothing else left that needed to be done or discussed for the night and Eggsy was mercifully able to get ready for bed. He’d had a long day and just wanted to sleep.

                Most of the other guys were like him and didn’t wear a shirt to bed. Eggsy averted his gaze when he saw that a few of them already had wings on their backs. He swallowed thickly, not wanting to think about the possibility that he wouldn’t find his soulmate and what they would think of him being wingless. He was at least thankful that he wasn’t the only one.

                The water woke him. Cold and suffocating. He had no idea what this was about, but he knew he wasn’t about to die here, no matter what everyone else was saying and the reassurances that had been given, especially after he broke the mirror. Everyone looked over Amelia’s body in horror as Merlin walked them out and into a separate dorm room that was pleasantly dry. There were clean pairs of clothes on everyone’s beds. Eggsy felt exhaustion take over once again now that the adrenaline rush was gone. He changed slowly, movements tired and lethargic before crawling into bed and falling asleep.

                He woke up in a terrible mood. The prickling sensation that he’d experienced the day before was back with a vengeance, but when he looked in the mirror, twisting every which way to see if there was something there, he came up with nothing. There was seemingly nothing wrong with Eggsy’s back and it just made him that much more irritated.

                “Are you alright?” Roxy asked, obviously concerned by his strange behavior that morning. She was already dressed in her uniform and Eggsy had yet to slip his arms through the sleeves.

                “Just didn’t sleep to well,” he lied easily. The lies had always come easily. Always had to. At least after Dean moved in.

                She pursed her lips, obviously not buying it, but didn’t question him further.

                They made it through breakfast, Eggsy’s bad mood thankfully refrained from worsening, but it didn’t get any better either, much to his own irritation. He walked through the mansion, gritting his teeth at the irritation and the temptation to lash out at his fellow recruits, barely managing to hold his tongue when Charlie poked fun at him and egged him on.

                By the time they had finally picked out their dogs, he was exhausted. The morning had completely drained him and he had no idea why. They hadn’t done anything mentally or physically exhausting and all Eggsy wanted to do was crawl back in bed and sleep for the rest of the day and put everything else out of his mind.

                “Are you sure you’re alright?” Roxy asked, obviously concerned with his behavior.

                “Yeah, I’m al-“ he cut himself off with a choking noise as white hot pain exploded in his back. It forced him to his knees and he gasped involuntarily.

                “Eggsy? Eggsy!”

                Eggsy barely registered Roxy’s concerned voice. His breathing was labored and he felt like he needed to crawl out of his skin. He’d never felt anything so painful in his entire life. Conflicting feelings washed over him. One moment he thought he was being branded with a hot iron and the next as though his lungs and heart were being ripped through his back. His skin was too tight. Suffocating and pressing against his ribs. He couldn’t breathe, pain and anxiety constricting his lungs and forcing the air out without letting any in. Eggsy’s skin felt as though it was being split open and vaguely wondered if he was bleeding, not having time to address the thought before pain was driving it, and all other thoughts, from his mind.

                He grit his teeth, afraid that he was screaming and wasn’t aware of it. He didn’t need everyone thinking that he was crazy. And just when he though it couldn’t get any worse, it spread outwards, consuming his shoulders and his lower back. Eggsy curled in on himself willing all of it to go away so that he could breathe. He wondered if he was dying. Only the second day and it wasn’t even a task that was killing him, he thought bitterly. And then it was gone.

                Eggsy was left shaking and sweating. He thought some drool was hanging from his mouth. He was nauseous from the pain and barely aware that Roxy was rubbing his back soothingly and murmuring comforting words to him. Resigning himself to what he’d have to face eventually, Eggsy looked up and saw the rest of the recruits staring at him.

                “Recruits! Off to lunch for all of you. Roxy-take Eggsy back to the dorm. I’ll be there momentarily,” Merlin ordered from the balcony he was still standing on.

                “Yes, sir.” Roxy helped Eggsy stand and carefully walked with him towards the stairs. His legs were shaking so bad that it took twice as long to climb the stairs even with Roxy supporting most of his weight.

                The walk to the dorm had been a slow one, but by the time they got there Eggsy’s tremors had subsided for the most part. He still felt clammy and his clothes stuck to him uncomfortably. Roxy walked him over to his bed and eased him down onto it.

                “How do you feel?” she asked.

                “Still a little nauseous. And clammy,” he answered, fighting the remaining aftershocks that continued to shake him.

                “You do look a bit pale,” she said brushing his hair out of his face. “Let’s get you out of the uniform and you can have a shower. Do you know what happened?”

                Eggsy shook his head. “No. I was fine and then pain just exploded in my back. I thought I was being ripped open.”

                Roxy hummed and started undoing the buttons on his uniform. When prompted he let her push the fabric down his arms and removed himself from the sleeves. She tugged at his shirt and Eggsy pulled it over his head, shivering as the air came in contact with his overheated skin. Roxy stood from where she was kneeling on the floor and walked around him. The sound of her gasp had him whipping his head around.

                “Roxy? What is it? What’s wrong?”

                She was staring at him with wide eyes before a tentative smile broke out over her face. “Your back, Eggsy. Your _wings_. You must’ve met your soulmate.”

                Eggsy blinked several times. “My-my…my….” He bolted from the bed and ran over to the mirror over the sinks, twisting around to look at his back. What he glimpsed there robbed the breath from his lungs. There, stretching across his back were two brightly colored wings. The scapulars extended all the way down his back, parallel to the sides of his spine. From there they expanded outward, the secondary wings covering the width of his back towards his sides while marginal and secondary coverts spanned his shoulders, leaving the primaries, primary coverts, and alula to reach out over his shoulders and down his biceps.

                No wonder it had hurt so much when they came in. At the scapulars, Eggsy could make the ink out to be dark purple. From there it morphed into dark blue, then dark red into the secondaries. The marginal and secondary coverts were light red which morphed into orange past the alula, leaving the very edges of the primaries to be a dull, dingy yellow.

                Eggsy furrowed his brow and turned back to Roxy. “Do you know what these colors mean?’

                Roxy shook her head. “I don’t. You can look up their meanings though. I know I did when I first got my wings, but I’ve never really focused on them.”

                “So you’ve met your soulmate then?” he asked while studying the colors on his back, missing the small smile that adorned Roxy’s face.

                “Yeah,” she said, softly. “She’s wonderful and I hated to have to leave here to come to do this, but she understands even if she doesn’t know all of the details. You feeling better then?”

                Eggsy looked up, startled, only to realize that his tremors had passed and he was feeling almost normal again. He nodded and moved back to the bed to tug his shirt back on. Roxy watched him as he righted his uniform. Just as he finished, Merlin walked into the room.

                He looked over the two of them and nodded. “Your wings came in, then?” he asked, gruffly.

                Eggsy nodded, caught off guard that he knew what happned. “Yeah…they did.”

                Merlin nodded once. “Right, then. Roxy-go join the other recruits for lunch. Eggsy…you come with me.”

                Roxy and Eggsy shared one last look, she gave him a smile, before they parted ways in the corridor.

                “Where’re you taking me, sir?” Eggsy asked as they navigated unfamiliar hallways.

                “Medical bay. Harry’s been injured.”

                Eggsy felt the blood drain from his face and followed Merlin as they quickly made their way through the halls.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, y'all remember this fic? Well I finally got around to writing another chapter. Some of it's a little rushed and this probably isn't going to be a very long multi-chap fic, but we'll just enjoy the ride as we go through it. :D 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who gave such great feedback on the first chapter. It made me super happy! 
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> <3 MOLIM

                Eggsy felt as though his stomach had been sucked out of him and shot out into space, never to return. He knew it was ridiculous. He’d only known Harry for a day, but seeing him lying there on the bed-emotionless…it was something he never wanted to see again. Harry looked too old, too fragile. He was getting up there in his years-there was no denying that. But Eggsy knew he wasn’t fragile. He could take down an entire group of men by himself. He couldn’t be brought down so easily. He _couldn’t._

                “Explosion. That’s what got ‘im,” Merlin explained. “I’ll leave you here. You’re welcome to return whenever you like as long as it doesn’t interfere with yer studies.”

                Merlin watched him as he nodded once, eyes still trained on Harry. He looked over him once more before turning on his heel and walking through the white door. Eggsy swallowed and pulled the one chair that had been supplied over to the side of the bed. He perched on the edge of it and braced his elbows on his knees, pressing his hands up against his mouth.

                After several minutes, Eggsy grew anxious. He adjusted himself in the chair several times, trying to find a comfortable position, but failing miserably. He jumped out of the chair instead and began to pace across the floor, eyes trained on Harry.

                “God damn it, ‘Arry!” he growled. He braced himself against the edge of the bed and stared at Harry’s peaceful face. “You better wake up, you hear me? And when you do, I can promise that I’ll show you someone you can be proud of.”

                Nodding once to himself, Eggsy let go of the end of the bed and walking swiftly out of the room, fists clenched at his sides. He walked through the corridors quietly. He turned down the hallway to the dining room, assuming that the other recruits were still there eating lunch and was surprised to run into them as they all began to file through the double doors behind Merlin.

                Roxy gave him a pointed look and he knew he’d have some explaining to do later, but was spared for the moment thanks to their audience.

                “Ah, Eggsy, just in time. We were just headed to the classroom to begin afternoon lessons.”

                Eggsy nodded and fell into step next to Roxy, ignoring the obviously intrigued looks that everyone else was giving him. It was obvious they wanted to know what happened to him, but he wasn’t sure how much they knew. Or how much he wanted them to know. Things could get a little weird if they knew that he just got his wings. But then…wouldn’t that mean one of them was his soulmate? Did he even _want_ one of the other recruits to be his soulmate? For all Eggsy knew, it could’ve been someone that he’d run into yesterday morning. He pushed away his thoughts for the moment. He’d have time to think about all of this later when he didn’t need to focus on his training.

                Lessons were no less grueling than what Eggsy would’ve expected from Kingsman. He knew that he would have some serious catching up to do with the holes in his education, but he thought it was entirely possible and something that he could achieve. Besides, it would give him something to brag to Harry about when he woke up.

                As the recruits left the classroom, Roxy gave Eggsy a look and he nodded his response. They hung behind the rest of the group and talked in hushed voices as they headed back to the barracks.

                “So what happened? Why weren’t you at lunch?” she asked as soon as she knew they wouldn’t be overheard.

                Eggsy’s eyes roved over the group in front of them, none of them had shown any indication that they knew what was going on right behind them. “Harry had an accident.”

                Roxy’s brow furrowed. “But I thought he was the best agent Kingsman had.”

                Eggsy glanced at her out of the corners of his eyes. “He’s supposed to be. It was an explosion. None of them saw it coming.”

                Roxy nodded. “So it had nothing to do with your wings then.”

                Eggsy shook his head. “Nothing. I don’t even know who my soulmate might be. Or what I’m supposed to do about it for that matter. It could’ve been someone that I just passed on the street yesterday.”

                Roxy quirked an eyebrow and gave him a meaningful look. “Eggsy…we both know that that wasn’t what happened.”

                Eggsy sighed and glanced at the group in front of them again.

                “Are you worried that one of them might be your soulmate?”

                He bit his lip and nodded. “I just…none of them seem like the type of person who I’d want to have as my soulmate. Have you heard anything about any of them getting their wings?”

                She shook her head. “Everything’s been quiet since you disappeared this morning. They talked about you a bit at lunch, but wings weren’t mentioned. I suspect that a few of them have either already started to consider the possibility or it won’t take them long to put the pieces together. And,” she shot him another look, “if you’re planning on hiding them, it’s going to take some skill with the communal showers in the barracks. It won’t be too easy to hide those bright colors when you’re changing around such a large group of people, either.”

                “Fuck,” Eggsy breathed. “I didn’t even think about that. I suppose I should just avoid mentioning it all together. We’ve all only been together for a day, maybe no one noticed that I hadn’t had my wings yet.”

                Roxy shrugged and pushed through the door to the barracks, leaving Eggsy to follow close behind.

                His eyes roved around the room. Everything seemed normal and no one was giving him curious glances. Yet, that was. He moved over to his bed and grabbed his towel and shampoo. He’d make this quick and try to avoid as many eyes as possible. The calmer and more quietly he handled this whole situation, the better.

                Eggsy walked over to the showers purposefully and hung his towel on the hook. His shirt was the first thing to go and his uniform and boxers quickly followed. He stepped under the chilled water and immediately poured some shampoo into his hand to start working into a lather. He washed quickly, steadfastly keeping his eyes on the shower wall or the ceiling when he washed the soap from his hair.

                Once he was finished, he shut of the water and grabbed his towel, slinging it loosely around his waist. Eggsy grabbed his clothes form the hook and turned back towards the rest of the barracks…only to find several people turn away from him quickly. He squared his shoulders and walked back to his bed, content to leave the matter as it was until someone else had the balls to bring up what they were all so curious about.

                Eggsy pulled a clean pair of boxers and his sleepwear from the drawers under his bed and dressed quickly. He left his towel to dry and made himself comfortable in his bed. He ignored the oppressive silence that was surrounding him. It was unusual for it to be so quiet since so many people were still up, but he wasn’t about to give in. He wouldn’t.

                One by one, the other recruits returned to their nightly routines. Water ran, toilets flushed, clothes and sheets were ruffled and slid over skin, and lights were flipped off. Eggsy was able to breathe a little easier and let sleep and sweet relief take him away.

                Eggsy woke the next morning far more well-rested than he thought he was going to be. He tentatively stretched and moved his muscles and was pleased by the lack of soreness. If anything, he would’ve assumed that his back would hurt from his wings coming in the day before. He pushed himself from bed and grabbed his uniform. A few of the other recruits were up already and Eggsy was pleased to know that he had some time before he needed to be present for breakfast and could make a quick trip to the medical bay to check on Harry.

                He would’ve thought that retracing his steps would’ve been one of the most difficult things to do with the size of Kingsman HQ, but Eggsy was pleased to find out that his memory recognized the seemingly identical hallways and was able to lead him back to the room that he’d been in the day before. The corridors were just as empty as he remembered, saving him from any curious glances or questions that could arise. He pushed the door to Harry’s room open and was met with the same sight that he’d left.

                Eggsy sat down in the chair that was still positioned next to the bed and let his eyes look over Harry’s form. He didn’t seem any worse for wear, not that he expected him to. It was peaceful here. The atmosphere much different than the one he’d experienced as a result of the eerie silence that had consumed the barracks for several minutes while he was trying to go to sleep the night before.

                “You’re going to miss breakfast if you stay in here much longer.”

                Eggsy started at Merlin’s voice and turned in his seat to find the other man watching him from the doorway. He felt his face heating up, not realizing that he’d been sitting there so long.

                “I should head back then.” Eggsy cleared his throat and stood from the chair. Merlin stepped aside for him and he walked past him with one last glance.

                “Oh, and before you go, Eggsy,” Merlin spoke up, stopping him from escaping. Eggsy glanced back over his shoulder. “We’ll need to have someone look over your wings later and document them.”

                “Why is that necessary?”

                “It just is. You’re dismissed.”

                Feeling a prickle of irritation, Eggsy stalked out of the room and into the hallway. He tried to think of some way to justify the invasion of his privacy, but nothing was coming to him. He supposed it didn’t matter. He wasn’t hiding them from anyone as it was. Having someone from the medical team take pictures or fill out a report shouldn’t make a difference either. So why was he so irritated with the prospect? Eggsy shook his head, knowing that if he didn’t push the thoughts aside, they would just make his whole day that much worse.

                He walked into the dining hall to find the rest of the recruits already eating breakfast. Roxy gave him a quizzical look, but he just shook his head indicating that they’d talk about it later. Eggsy took the seat next to her and dug into his own plate of food, enjoying the taste of the hot food. He hadn’t realized how hungry he’d become, Harry’s medical condition having distracted him.

                Training was becoming more complicated. Their dogs were going everywhere with them and Eggsy was annoyed with how temperamental JB was acting. He hoped that with a few weeks he’d be able to work out all of the growing kinks and have him behave himself well. Their lessons were becoming more difficult as well. Harder problems, more complex scenarios, more tests, all of it was beginning to pile up. If he’d known just what this so-called interview would become, Eggsy would’ve balked at being able to complete it all.

                But now…now he was learning. He was gaining the skills that he needed to survive the rigorous schedules and complex questions. And he thought he was doing pretty well at least. It was obvious that Charlie and his crew were anything but happy with the progress he was making and had been hoping that he’d be kicked out early, but Eggsy wasn’t willing to give them that kind of satisfaction. Or that’s what he thought before Charlie decided to be a dick.

                The sharp shock of the ice-cold water woke him from his sleep. Eggsy inhaled sharply and bolted up in bed reaching up for the light. Charlie was standing at the foot of his bed surrounded by his mates with an empty bucket gripped loosely between his fingers. Eggsy growled and flung the covers off himself. Before he could manage to take a step forward, Roxy was there, pushing him.

                “Don’t Eggsy. You’ll get kicked out, it’s not worth it.”

                “Get out of my way, Roxy.”

                “No!”

                “Aw, isn’t that cute,” Charlie sneered. “I see what’s going on here. Both of you must’ve gotten your wings yesterday. Look boys, the sweet little soulmates.”

                Roxy rounded on Charlie and balled her hands into fists. “Don’t be a dick, Charlie.”

                Charlie scoffed and turned away with his cronies, heading back to their side of the room. Roxy moved past Eggsy and started to strip the sheets off the bed, pushing JB off onto Eggsy.

                “Roxy,” he prodded.

                She didn’t respond, collecting the wet bedding in her arms and striding over to the laundry hamper to dump it in. When she returned with a fresh set of sheets, Eggsy tried again.

                “Hey, Roxy.”

                She fisted her hands in the sheets and bowed her head. “What is it, Eggsy?”

                “Why didn’t you tell them about your real soulmate? You don’t need to be taunted like that.”

                “Because…it’s none of their business. They don’t need to know who my soulmate is or isn’t.”

                “But you love her.”

                Roxy smiled. “I do love her. And I’m proud of her and I think she’s the most amazing person who I’ve ever met.” She looked up at Eggsy. “But Charlie wouldn’t understand that. He doesn’t need to know that’s how I feel about her. Let them think that we’re soulmates. He’ll probably see it as a weakness and try and taunt us with that. Just ignore it. While he tries to get us kicked out, we can put our energies into studying and beating the tests that Merlin has prepared for us.”

                Roxy finished smoothing down the sheets and took JB from Eggsy to return him to his place at the foot of the bed.

                “Now go get changed.”

                Eggsy smiled. “Thanks, Rox.”

                Roxy turned back to her own bed and climbed under the covers. Eggsy grabbed his spare pair of pajamas and walked over to the bathrooms. Everyone had finally settled back down and he was glad that things were quiet again. He peeled off his disgustingly wet clothes and left them on the floor as he pulled his dry things on. Feeling much more comfortable, Eggsy tried to wring as much water from the fabric as possible, which wasn’t much at all.

                He added the clothes to the hamper and crawled back under his covers, shutting off the light once again and returning the barracks to darkness. He laid back and listened to the sounds that swirled in the darkness around him, far too awake to try and return to the pleasant dreams that he’d been experiencing minutes before. His mind wandered back to the whole soulmates thing, not that he’d really stopped thinking about it since the day before.

                Eggsy was again left questioning just who his soulmate could be. It didn’t seem like any of the other recruits were possible explanations since they hadn’t gotten their wings. Or maybe they had and just hadn’t experienced as much noticeable pain as he had. His mom had told him that when she got her wings, her skin was simply itchy. It made him wonder why people experienced different amounts of pain and if soulmates were forced to experience the same amount of pain.

                He tried thinking back to everyone who he’d interacted with. Surely it wasn’t anyone form the police station... There were countless people who he’d walked past on the street, but he knew that wasn’t how this whole soulmate thing worked. Nothing that simple could happen. If it did, no one would know who their soulmates were. Then Eggsy had met Harry and-Eggsy stiffened. It couldn’t be Harry.

                But then why had he gotten so worried and anxious when he’d learned that Harry had been caught in an explosion and hurt? They hadn’t known each other very long. Mild concern was understandable, but the unparalleled and abrupt wave of emotion that had overtaken him was something he’d never experienced before. Especially with someone who he barely knew.

                Eggsy shifted in his bed uncomfortably, the sounds of the sheets rustling loud in the quiet of the barracks. This whole thing was ridiculous. Soulmates weren’t supposed to happen this way. It had always been talks of meeting your best friend or being best friends, that’s what happened a large part of the time, soulmates were already best friends. That’s what had happened to Ryan and Jamal anyway. There was no way it could be Harry. It had to be someone else.

                He’d also met Merlin for the first time the other day, but that thought wasn’t any more appealing. Eggsy new that he would have to try and get out of the wing examination as much as possible. He couldn’t risk the consequences of learning that Harry had the same wings. He wouldn’t know what would happen. Maybe they would take him out of the running completely and they wouldn’t let him become a Kingsman, instead opting to protect the soulmate of one of their most important agents. But what about the soulmates of everyone who worked for Kingsman? There was always someone else being put at risk with this kind of job so why would that make him any different?

                Eggsy sighed and pushed the thoughts aside. He’d stop thinking about all of this soulmate crap and focus on Kingsman instead. He’d avoid the wings examination and just keep to himself. He was separate form all of this now. This meant he wouldn’t be able to lead a normal life and he had to accept that. He used to think that he wasn’t meant to have a soulmate since he hadn’t met them yet. Now he knew that he couldn’t have one because they didn’t deserve the kind of pain that came with him being part of Kingsman.

                JB crawled up the bed and curled up against Eggsy’s chest. He wrapped an arm around him and closed his eyes, letting all of his worries leave him. It didn’t matter anymore and he wouldn’t let it get to him. He was beyond this and he knew it. All that mattered now was doing well during the training and becoming the next Kingsman agent. And no one, not even Charlie, was going to stand in his way. This was something that he could do. And he was finally starting to believe it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback, comments, and kudos are always loved and appreciated. 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chapter! I was hoping to get this up sooner, but I had a busy week and ended up writing most of this chapter today. But here you go! Get ready for some angst.
> 
> <3 MOLIM

                Eggsy woke slowly. He’d gotten a decent night’s sleep once he’d fallen back to sleep after the incident the night before. It was strange. Almost as though the resolution that he’d made had put some part of him at peace and he was finally able to become more focused now than he’d ever been before. JB was still curled up in his arms and he could hear the other candidates slowly coming back to consciousness as well.

                He reached behind him and pulled the sheet over his body, leaving JB tucking into the warmth for the moment while he changed and before he’d need to make the bed. He grabbed his uniform and a clean shirt from where he’d stored them the night before and began to strip out of his nightclothes. Everyone had gotten pretty comfortable around each other pretty fast. They’d needed to with the lack of privacy.

                Eggsy left the top half of his uniform around his waist as he took his toothbrush and toothpaste over to the sink to brush his teeth. He looked over himself as he brushed. He wasn’t used to seeing himself so well-rested or free of bruises for once. It was a nice change, though. He was fighting and competing, yes, but it was a different type of fighting. A fight for a spot and a chance and everyone was willing to let their skills prove themselves. Except for Charlie, but he didn’t think there was going to be anything to help Charlie’s case.

                He spit in the sink and rinsed off his toothbrush. He turned away without looking in the mirror and ran straight into Charlie. He glared up at the other candidate and took a step back, putting some space between them.

                “What do you want?” he asked, eyes narrowing.

                “I want to know what the fuck you’re playing at,” he sneered.

                “What are you talking about?”

                “Your god damn wings, what else would I be talking about!”

                Eggsy took another step back and bumped into the sink. “They’re none of your business.”

                Charlie grit his teeth together. Eggsy saw hate-no…more like general irritation, but he didn’t feel as though it was directly addressed at him. There was a fire in his eyes that he’d never seen there before. Charlie wanted something. He wasn’t sure what had changed or what it had to go with his wings, but he didn’t like it.

                Charlie stepped back. “We’ll see about that. Don’t forget that when soulmates meet, two people get their wings. It’s not hard to put two and two together under our circumstances.”

                Eggsy watched him walk away, still unsure and suspicious. If there was one thing he couldn’t stand, it was head games. He’d rather solve things with an actual fight or make whoever he was fighting look like an idiot as he’d done to Dean and his dogs so many times before. Shaking his head, he carried his things back to his bunk and put them away.

                He walked with Roxy to breakfast and they sat down together since they were the first ones there.

                “So, something weird happened this morning,” Eggsy started, grabbing a few slices of toast.

                “What’s that?” she asked, pouring herself a cup of tea.

                “Charlie cornered me in the bathroom and asked me about my wings. He was saying some shit about not forgetting that when soulmates meet two people get their wings. I think he might be trying to mess with me, but I’m not exactly sure what he could be up to.”

                “Eggsy…what if Charlie thinks that the two of you are soulmates?”

                Eggsy paused, toast halfway to his mouth. “But…he didn’t get his wings…did he? Wouldn’t we know if he did?”

                “Not necessarily. Everyone experiences different amounts of pain when they get their wings and his might’ve come in fairly easily unlike yours which nearly forced you to blackout.”

                “There’s no way we can be soulmates though. Someone else must’ve gotten their wings too. I can’t be Charlie’s soulmate.”

                Roxy shook her head. “There’s no way to know exactly unless we can compare the sets side-by-side and I doubt Charlie would consent to that or the two of you would want everyone else to know that you could possibly be soulmates.”

                “What do we do then?”

                “I’m not sure. Watch him whenever he takes a shower and see if you can pick out a match with your own. Since we had no idea his had come in, there’s the possibility that someone else got their wings among the recruits and didn’t experience any pain either. If only we knew more about this whole process than the common knowns and the major speculations.”

                “Okay,” he sighed.

                They ate in silence as the rest of the recruits filed in later. Eggsy could feel Charlie’s eyes on him and did his best to effectively ignore them. He didn’t need him to try and ruin his chances at this thing or get in his head. He had other things to worry about. Like avoiding the wings examination that Merlin wanted him to undergo. He saw the man walk through the door and downed the last of his tea that had already gone cold.

                “Recruits,” his voice echoed in the dining room. “You have five minutes to finish your breakfast before you’re required to be at the training course.” He gave a significant look at Eggsy before he turned on his heel and walked out the door.

                “Want to head over?” Roxy asked.

                “Sure,” Eggsy said and shrugged. He picked up JB’s leash and pushed his chair back. He and Roxy headed towards the door and heard some whispers break out behind them. He simply rolled his eyes and ignored them, focusing instead on the day ahead instead.

                The halls were silent except for their footsteps as they walked to the lower level of the building where the training rooms were. JB’s nails clicked across the linoleum floors and his collar jingled, interrupting the silences between their steps. They descended several flights of stairs and wound through the labyrinthine hallways until they reached the training course. It was empty of course, Merlin enjoyed being the last person to walk in and everyone had learned by now that it was not good to be late for training. Or any form of summons really.

                Eggsy let his eyes rove over it. It was sort of a military like obstacle course and covered many different elements of running, climbing, jumping, crawling, and tested their ability to navigate challenges and evade everyone else.

                “Sit,” Eggsy said towards JB who loyally planted his butt next to his feet and supported himself with his feet on the floor in front of him. Eggsy dropped his leash and began to shake out his arms and legs before starting up his stretches.

                Roxy followed Eggsy’s lead and started working out the soreness and loosened up her own muscles. “What do you suppose it’ll be today that we have to work with?”

                “I don’t know. The usual, I suppose. Time trials to see who can cover the course the fastest. Or maybe we’ll do circuits and have to traverse the obstacles multiple times.”

                Roxy hummed. “I don’t know. It’s been a while since we’ve been here and lately our focus has been teamwork what with the parachute test and all. Maybe we’ll have to do relays or something to see who covers it the fastest.”

                They heard the door open behind them as the other recruits filed in since finishing their breakfast and formed the usual line that preceded any test of physical activity when they met. The rest of them began their own stretching sequences, knowing better than to wait and expect time to loosen up once Merlin arrived. He expected them to be ready for anything and didn’t like to be kept waiting when he ordered them to do something.

                Eggsy closed his eyes and sighed when he heard the door behind them open.

                “Recruits,” he began, taking up residence in front of them all with his clipboard in hand, “today we’ll be doing something different than what you’re used to. Your previous experiences with this course have been to test the amount of time it takes you to traverse the obstacles. We’ve had you racing against each other to determine your physical ability and any areas of weakness that you may have which would need to be resolved. Today we’re doing something different.

                “As many of you know, this week has been dedicated to teamwork and learning to successfully navigate unexpected situations and problems. For today’s test, you’ll be going through the obstacle course with a partner. We’re not doing relays. It’s simply to test how effective two of you can be while working together. Oh, and certain modifications have been made to the course to help with our objectives.”

                Eggsy nodded and turned towards Roxy, assuming the two of them would be partners for the course.

                “Not so fast, Eggsy,” Merlin said, noticing what the friends were doing. “I’ve already decided on pairs for the group. It’s easier to get along with someone who you’re friends with and be successful in completing the course. I want each of you to work with someone you normally wouldn’t pick. That’s why you and Charlie will be paired up for this work. Now, everyone out into the hallway. You’ll be taken in one at a time to test your skills and ability to cooperate.”

                Eggsy grit his teeth and shot Charlie a glare before picking up JB’s leash and walking towards the door with Roxy.

                “It’ll be fine. It’s only an obstacle course.”

                “I hope you’re right.”

                Eggsy walked over to the opposite wall and faced the door. He thought that he and Charlie would’ve been the first pair to run the course, but was surprised when the other recruits were continually called before them. As each pair returned from running the course, a few of them looked happier than others, but they were able to leave the training grounds. He assumed that Merlin was either giving them the day off after this or they were free to be on their own until this afternoon when they had lessons scheduled.

                Finally, the last pair walked out and Merlin nodded towards Eggsy and Charlie. They looked at each once before filing through the doorway. The obstacle course looked as it always did. As it had about an hour ago when they were standing in front of it for the first time that day. But the air felt different. More charged, somehow. A sense of anticipation hung in the air.

                “Line up at the starting line,” Merlin said. “When you hear the buzzer, that’s when you can go. You’ll be tested on both efficiency and your ability to communicate. Working together as a team should allow you to pass the course with ease, despite the new challenges that have been added. Now, on your marks.”

                Eggsy felt his heartrate begin to elevate as his adrenaline started pumping. He tried to avoid tensing for when the inevitable sound came, not wanting to hurt his muscles.

                “Try and at least keep up will you,” Charlie spat.

                “Just don’t drag me down,” he bit back as the sound echoed in the enclosed space and he leapt from his starting point.

                Charlie wasn’t far behind him and they were soon running chest to chest through the first few narrow walls. Eggsy felt himself falling into the usual mindset that he picked up during the physical portions of their training: the feeling of his legs, the tension, the movement of his muscles, and the speed of his breathing all became incredibly fine-tuned.

                They turned the first corner and came face to face with a twelve foot wall. Eggsy began to pull ahead.

                “Get ready to jump and launch yourself up.” He crouched down and laced his fingers together for Charlie as he approached behind him. He placed his foot in Eggsy’s hands and pushed him up to the top of the wall. Charlie covered it easily and pulled himself up, turning to reach down and grasp Eggsy’s hand.

                The two of them jumped down the other side, landing in identical crouches before taking off down the lane. Almost immediately, they came upon another area where parts of the floor had been cut off. Charlie cut him off and took the first leap to the square of floor that was still left. Grumbling, Eggsy followed close behind, not allowing the jibe to get the best of him. They covered the area quickly and continued their sprint once they were back on a solid surface.

                They rounded the first corner and slats in the walls began to open up where projectiles began to be released. Eggsy pulled Charlie down and out of the path of one of the fake bullets, narrowly missing one himself. He grit his teeth and pulled Charlie forward, carefully staying clear of what was flying over their heads. As soon as they were free, Charlie yanked his arm free and continued. Eggsy rolled his eyes, but followed nonetheless. He wasn’t about to let Charlie’s shitty attitude get in the way of them finishing this test.

                Eggsy expected the rope swing to be next, but was surprised when they came out into a large room. The two of them stopped in their tracks and looked around, before giving each other quizzical looks. The light overhead flickered and went out, leaving them in very low light. Eggsy looked up and saw a figure start falling towards them. He tackled Charlie out of the way. Scrambling off of him to keep their attacker in sight.

                “What the fuck are you doing?” Charlie bellowed.

                “Saving your ass from them, that’s what!” He got to his feet quickly and did his best to assess the threat that was still crouched in the middle of the floor.

                Charlie stood quickly and got into his fighting stance. The figure stood slowly and turned to face them. They were wearing all black and their face was covered, leaving their identity completely concealed. They ran forward and Eggsy blinked rapidly, trying to track their movements in the dark. Suddenly, they were in front of Charlie who staggered back from a jab to the chest.

                Eggsy fell into the stance that he’d been perfecting since he came and started training at Kingsman. He moved forward quickly to cover Charlie as he got his wits back and could join the fight. He pushed their attacker back and was immediately engaged in hand-to-hand. Their movements were so quick that Eggsy was having difficulty keeping up.

                He saw Charlie move in out of the corner of his eye and was relieved to have back up, until Charlie promptly pushed him out of the way and began fighting their assailant himself.

                “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he muttered before jumping back into the fray.

                “I’ve got this under control.”

                “We’re supposed to be working as a team, Charlie. That’s obviously the only way that we’re going to be able to beat this thing successfully. Do you want to get penalized for being an incessant prat?”

                Charlie rolled his eyes, but said nothing. With their combined efforts, the two of them were able to start pushing the attacker back. Their movements were already slowing with exhaustion and having to keep up with two opponents. Or perhaps, they were doing it on purpose to give the illusion that they were beating them? If this was a skilled Kingsman agent, Eggsy assumed that it was the latter. This was all supposed to be a simulation of things they could encounter in the field anyway.

                A few moments later, Eggsy saw an opening and swept their attacker’s legs out from under them. They went down hard and Charlie placed a foot on their chest to keep them down.

                “Let’s get going,” Eggsy said.

                Charlie stepped back and with one last look at the figure on the ground, the two of them headed towards the exit, slipping through it and into another hallway. The rope swing was next and each of them traversed it with the skill they’d developed from past attempts. Eggsy lost himself in his thoughts as they continued to move forward to take on challenge after challenge.

                The two of them stood in front of Merlin, covered in sweat and out of breath. Eggsy still had a large amount of adrenaline in his system and was on edge. It almost felt as through the whole obstacle course had gone too well. He needed to get back to the barracks and talk to Roxy about this.

                “Well done. The two of you seem to at least be civil in a tense situation and are able to work together. You have the rest of the morning off. Be ready to meet for lessons after lunch with the others.”

                Eggsy nodded and turned to walk out, Charlie following closely behind him. He was lost in thought as he got out into the hallway and was trusting his memory to lead him through the hallway and back to the upper floors. As soon as they turned the first corner, he wasn’t expecting Charlie to push him into one of the training rooms and shove him to the floor.

                “What the fuck?” Eggsy exclaimed.

                Charlie stood over him, hands balled into fists. “You’re an infuriating piece of shit.”

                “What the hell’s that supposed to mean,” Eggsy asked angrily, scrambling to his feet.

                Charlie stalked over to him and prodded his chest with his finger. “What it means,” he began and Eggsy slapped his hand away only to have the front of his uniform grabbed, “that I don’t fucking understand how we could’ve possibly gotten our wings at the same time.”

                Eggsy’s eyes widened. “Wha-“

                Charlie crashed their lips together. It was harsh and rough and Eggsy didn’t want to have anything to do with it. He shoved Charlie away and ran past him and out of the room. He was distantly aware of the shout of frustration that echoed behind him, but he didn’t really have time to concern himself with that at the moment. He had bigger problems. Charlie thought that they were soulmates. And he would continue to think that unless Eggsy did something.

                The only way to dispute that would be to have their wings examined which was exactly what Eggsy was trying to keep from happening. He didn’t want to be taken out of the running for Kingsman and he didn’t know if the both of them would be removed when they were found out. There was no way that he could possibly be soulmates with Charlie. The two of them were just too different.

                He ran a hand through his hair, utterly frustrated and immediately changed his course to head back to the barracks and turned to the medical wing instead. Maybe if he had an hour or two to calm down and sit with Harry, he’d be able to figure out what he should do. He knew this wasn’t the end of it, but he wasn’t ready to accept something like that. He just hoped that Roxy was right and that there was someone else who had gotten their wings as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback, comments, and kudos are always appreciated and loved. 
> 
> my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've finally got another chapter for y'all. I wrote pretty much this whole thing today and was ready to get it posted. things are going to happen so be ready for what's coming. ;)
> 
> <3 MOLIM

                The more Eggsy thought about the encounter with Charlie, the more _wrong_ the whole thing felt. His stomach turned over at the thought and for a moment, Eggsy thought that he might actually be sick. He didn’t know why Charlie would ever think the two of them could be soulmates. Weren’t soulmates supposed to at least get along? Shaking himself form the thoughts, he hurried through the halls towards the medical bay, knowing he’d at least have enough time to calm down if anything.

                He didn’t pass by anyone as he wound through the corridors, not that that was a surprise. Kingsman was so large and the agents were in and out of headquarters at a rate faster than Eggsy could keep track of. He pushed open the double doors leading to the hallway lined with doors to various examination rooms, wincing as the doors slammed into the walls from the force he used to open them with. He brushed it off, hoping that he hadn’t left too much damage, and hurried forward towards the door that led to Harry’s room.

                Eggsy stopped in front of the closed door that he’d found himself in front of many times over the past few days. He forced himself to take deep breaths to try and calm himself down, knowing that going inside this worked up wasn’t going to do him any good. He tentatively reached his hand out and grasped the doorknob in his hand, the metal cool on his sweaty palm. He looked down where JB whined at his side and gave a small smile to the pug who was beginning to paw at the door. He twisted the knob and pushed the door open, only to have all his breath leave him in a rush.

                Merlin and Harry looked towards him as they heard the door open.

                “You-you’re awake,” Eggsy said, staring at him.

                Harry’s lips twitched upwards in a small smile. “It would seem so. Merlin was just updating me on the mission that I had been on as well as the developments of our new recruits. It seems that your results have improved drastically since I was last awake. Wonderful job, my boy.”

                Eggsy felt himself flush and look away, suddenly feeling very warm and pleased by the compliment.

                “Yes, well, we are only halfway through the tests and things aren’t going to get any easier. Which reminds me…Eggsy, we need to get that examination of your wings done.”

                Eggsy swallowed thickly, nerves coming back to life.

                Harry looked between the two of them before his gaze settled on Eggsy. “Wings?” he asked. “You got your wings?”

                Eggsy stared at the ground and nodded. “Yeah. They came in a while back around the time when you slipped into your coma. It was right after I got JB, actually.”

                “Well, I must say a congratulations is in order over this unexpected development. Do you know who it was that triggered their appearance?”

                Eggsy shook his head, still staring at the ground.

                “Well, I would say that you should get your examination done as soon as possible. That way you can learn who your soulmate is. You would like to know, wouldn’t you?”

                Eggsy looked up at Harry. “I-well…I don’t know.”

                “I’ll leave the two of you alone to talk about this,” Merlin said before striding out the door.         Eggsy watched as the door shut behind him, suddenly uncomfortable with being alone to talk to Harry about soulmates and wings.

                “I advise you not to wait on the examination Eggsy. Everyone should be fortunate enough to know who their soulmate is.”

                Eggsy swallowed. “Do you know who your soulmate is, Harry?”

                Harry smiled sadly. “I do not. I got my wings many years ago. You would’ve been a child then. I believe it was around the time your father died, actually. My wings have been catalogued and I had the examination done, but no match for my wings has ever been reported. I believe that’s one of the benefits of being part of Kingsman. We have access to the database of registered wings. I’m sure you’ve heard of it.”

                “That’s what people use when they don’t know who their soulmate is, right?”

                Harry nodded. “That’s right. Since many of us Kingsman agents only come into contact with people for a short period of time and it’s usually under secret identities, we may not realize who we connect with since we have to interact with so many people in our line of work.”

                “What happens when you do find your soulmate? Especially if you found them during an undercover mission? They wouldn’t know your real identity at least. Would I be kicked out of Kingsman because I would be put at risk and could possibly die?” he blurted out.

                “Ah, so that’s what you’re worried about,” he muttered. “There are many agents in Kingsman who have met their soulmates and are either dating them or are married to them. Having met your soulmate doesn’t automatically deny you a place in Kingsman. Everyone in the world is at risk every day. If people were afraid of being hurt, they wouldn’t do anything with their life. It is true that our lives are at greater risk than someone simply walking down the street, but we accept the risk and explain that risk to our soulmate.”

                “Explain that risk…does that mean that the soulmates of Kingsman agents are able to know about what you do here?”

                Harry nodded. “It does. We have a special protocol put in place that allows soulmates to know what their partners are doing and what kind of danger they put themselves in. There have been cases in the past where one of our agents has chosen to retire because they don’t want to take on the added risk and would rather live their life with their soulmate. We also have some cases where two agents are each other’s soulmates. That makes it easier in some case at least since they both understand what they’re doing.”

                “But, my Mum, she didn’t-she doesn’t…”

                “That’s right. Your mother does not know that your father was part of Kingsman or what he was doing that specifically got him killed. That is because, unfortunately, it wasn’t until after your father’s death that we were able to pass the protocol and see the need for something like that in place. We also only allow the protocol to take effect when a recruit officially becomes an agent, which your father was not.”

                Eggsy nodded, overwhelmed by the new wealth of information that he’d just received.

                “I can see that you’ve got quite a lot to think about. Why don’t you head back to the barracks and enjoy the rest of your morning until lessons pick up this afternoon?”

                “Yes, Harry,” he mumbled, barely registering what he’d said. He turned and walked towards the door.

                “And Eggsy?”

                He looked over his shoulder where Harry was still standing in the middle of the room in his robe.

                “I highly encourage you to get the examination done. I think that it would make you feel better about this whole thing.”

                “Yeah. Okay, Harry. I’ll see you later,” Eggsy said, walking out the door with JB following dutifully at his side.

                He felt as though he was in a daze. He wasn’t going to be kicked out of Kingsman just for having a soulmate, which made him feel a bit better. And he could choose to let them know about Kingsman so they understood what he was undertaking. If he passed. But…he still wasn’t going to take the examination though. It made him wary. The fact that Merlin could easily pull some stranger’s name from a database and proclaim them to be his soulmate when he might not even remember who they are.

                The whole thing was odd. And sometimes Eggsy wondered if it would just be better if he didn’t have to have a soulmate. If this whole matching didn’t exist and he could just go about his life as he pleased. He could continue with his Kingsman training and not have to worry about hurting someone else so deeply and affect them so much. They would always have that reminder that he wasn’t there for them. His mother certainly had such a reminder seared onto her back.

                He swallowed thickly and walked into the barracks. Most of the recruits were laying around on their cots. It looked like one group of guys had started a game of cards. Thankfully, Charlie was nowhere to be found. He was probably off somewhere acting completely pissed. That whole situation was something that he did not want to think about at all. He saw Roxy sit up when she noticed that he’d come back.

                “Eggsy?” she asked, climbing off her cot and walking over to him. “Where have you been? Your examination ended a while back. And where’s Charlie?” she asked, voice laced with suspicion.

                “Can I talk to you?” he asked, eyes flitting around the room where some of the recruits had noticed his presence. “Not here?”

                She searched his face before nodding once.

                The two friends walked from the barracks and through the hallways. Eggsy stayed silent, trying to collect his thoughts and find the best way to breach the subject. He could tell that Roxy was curious to find out what had him so distracted, but kept herself from releasing a barrage of questions. They found themselves outside, on the balcony that overlooked the large fields surrounding Kingsman Headquarters.

                Eggsy sat down on the balcony railing and kicked his legs over the side so he was facing the fields beyond. The wind ruffled his hair and he sighed as Roxy leaned her forearms on the concrete railing.

                “Harry’s awake,” he stated, thinking that was the best place to start.

                “Oh, Eggsy, that’s wonderful! How is he?” she asked, delighted by the news.

                “He looks alright. After he gets something to eat and showers, he’ll probably better off. He also knows about my wings.”

                “How does he know that?”

                “Merlin was there and told him. He started asking me all these questions on whether I knew who it was or had suspicions. I told him that I had no idea and that they’d just come in around the time when he was hospitalized. He let me ask him some questions though and explained things to me. How they handle the whole wings thing here at Kingsman at least. He thinks that I should get the wings examination.”

                “Why don’t you want to get it?” she asked, softly.

                “It’s just…I don’t want to be paired with a complete stranger. I don’t want them to find a match for my wings in their data base and be given this random name and file for a person who I know nothing about and have no serious connection with. I just hate the concept of soulmates sometimes. It’s nerve-wracking to think about. The fact that one meeting can change so much and completely alter a person’s life.

                “The protocols that Kingsman has in place at least made me feel a little bit better. I won’t get kicked out for having a soulmate if I pass and become the next Lancelot. And I don’t have to keep them in the dark about what I do either. They’ll know what the risk is. That’s one thing I’ll be thankful for.”

                Roxy smiled. “It’ll be okay, Eggsy. There’s a reason soulmates are called soulmates. Do you think you’re any closer to knowing who yours is?”

                Eggsy shook his head. “No. But Charlie definitely seems to think that we’re soulmates. I think that he’s wrong.”

                “That’s right-where is he? He never came back to the barracks after the test completed. You’re the first that’s given us anything to go off of.”

                “I don’t know where he is now. I left him in one of the training rooms. He went off on me about the whole soulmates thing and kissed me. I pushed him away and then made my way to the medical bay where I found that Harry was finally awake.”

                Roxy hummed, thinking over what Eggsy had told her.

                She sighed and pushed herself off the railing. “Come on, lunch will be starting soon and we should get something to eat before being forced into the classroom all day. It’s probably going to be a long day of lessons since we had most of the morning free.”

                “You’re right,” Eggsy said, swinging one of his legs back over the railing and then the other, before he pushed himself off and landed on his feet.

                They walked back through the doors and into the halls of Kingsman, making their way to the dining room. They saw some of the other recruits heading through the double doors into the dining area and joined them, easily taking their places at the long dining table and filling their plates with the food that had already been set out in preparation of their arrival.

                Lunch passed quickly and blurred into lessons. Eggsy did his best to pay attention and ignore the look that Merlin had given him when he collected them at lunch. It was obvious that he was losing patience with Eggsy and was tired of waiting for him to come forward for the wings examination. He kept his focus on what was being said and not on the dirty looks and scowls that Charlie was enjoying throwing at him. He’d made his reappearance at lunch and it was obvious that something had happened between the two of them, although not many people knew what, which Eggsy was thankful for. The last thing he needed was more people poking into his love life and speculating on who exactly his soulmate was.

                The tension seeped from his shoulders when their last lesson drew to a close and he was able to hand in the worksheet they’d been given and pack up his notes. He steadfastly avoided looking at Merlin as they filed out the door and headed back to the dining room for dinner. He knew what he would find on his face and he was still adamant about not completing the exam. He also didn’t feel that Kingsman had the right to poke its head into every facet of his life. Although he knew they thought otherwise.

                Eggsy sat down heavily in his seat next to Roxy and placed his napkin in his lap before scooping food onto his plate. He listened to Roxy talk about their lessons as he ate, offering some input and feedback to what she was saying. He was feeling more tired than usual and it was probably due to the added stress that he was under from Merlin and the lengthy lessons they’d had, not once getting a reprieve from the stuffy classroom and uncomfortable chairs.

                Still ignoring the eyes boring into the back of his head and the side of his face from two certain individuals in the room. He was the first one done eating and he pushed his plate away, turning to look at Roxy who was watching him.

                “I’m going to head back to the barracks. I’m utterly knackered and just want a hot shower and some sleep.”

                She nodded and swallowed the food she’d been eating. “Alright. I’ll be back soon enough anyway.”

                Eggsy nodded and downed the rest of the drink in his glass, before putting his napkin on the table and pushing his chair back. He didn’t understand how he could be this exhausted. He felt as though he was going to pass out at any moment. He stood and immediately felt the world give an unexpected lurch. He grit his teeth, not willing to show anyone just how bad off he was and headed towards the door, taking slow, determined steps. He risked a glance at Merlin who was watching him expectantly and pushed through the doors and into the hallway.

                He placed a hand on the wall to steady himself as the world gave another lurch and it belatedly occurred to him that this was not the effect of exhaustion. He felt his suspicions rising as he attempted to take a few careful steps forward. He flinched when firm hands grabbed his arm and maneuvered it around a pair of shoulders. He looked over to find Merlin watching him before he felt a hand around his waist.

                “I knew that you were going to keep avoiding the wings examination unless I took drastic measures.”

                “Whadded you do?” Eggsy slurred.

                “I put a sedative in your drink. You’ll be fine in a couple of hours. I just needed enough time to keep you still so that I could take the necessary scans and get the documentation completed.”

                “I tole you that I diddned want me wings essamined,” Eggsy said, struggling in Merlin’s hold.

                Merlin tightened his grip and forced him to start walking down the hallway. “This is bigger than just what you want. You’re getting your wings examined. Harry agrees that you should get it done, too. He might not exactly agree with my methods about going about this, but it needs to be done.”

                Eggsy made several more incoherent noises, fighting the blackness that was threatening his vision and trying to pull him under. The drug had already worked its way deeply into his system and his weak attempts at trying to pull away from Merlin did nothing. He struggled to keep his eyelids open, but they refused to obey him, forcing the blackness to finally pull him under.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback, comments, and kudos are always loved and appreciated. 
> 
> Find me on tumblr as my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas for those who celebrate it. For those who don't, happy holidays, merry winter. Either way, I have an update for you!
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> <3 MOLIM

Eggsy groaned as he slowly came back to consciousness. His body felt heavy and his mind was hazy. He blinked his eyes several times, trying to focus the images that were in front of him and make it all less blurry. He brought a hand to his head to try and remember what exactly had just happened and why he was waking up.

                “Eggsy?” a voice tentatively asked.

                “Hm?” he asked, turning towards where the voice had sounded from.

                “How are you feeling, Eggsy?”

                Eggsy blinked several more times and his vision finally cleared. He was on a bed in one of the rooms in the medical bay. Harry was sitting on a chair next to his bed, looking at him with a worried expression on his face.

                “Everything’s sluggish,” he said, pushing himself into a sitting position. Harry stood from his chair and rearranged the pillows behind his back so that he’d have something to lean against. He shot Harry a grateful smile which he reciprocated with a small one of his own.

                “What do you remember?” he asked, sitting down in his chair again.

                Eggsy furrowed his brow. “I remember that we did obstacle course trials yesterday and I was paired with Charlie. Then I came here and you were awake. I…ate lunch with…Roxy before we had lessons yesterday afternoon.” He closed his eyes and racked his brain for what happened next. “Oh! Then we had dinner and I was really tired so I left dinner to head to the barracks and-“

                Eggsy cut himself off with a gasp as his eyes flew open, before a scowl took over his face. “Merlin or no Merlin, I’m goin’ t’ kill ‘im,” he grit out. He made to get out of bed, but stopped when Harry placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

                “Eggsy wait. I don’t agree with Merlin’s methods and how he went about this either, and I do wish that you had volunteered for this examination, but there is something vitally important that we need to discuss.”

                Eggsy deflated and leaned back into the pillows. Harry reluctantly let him go and sat back down in his chair, struggling to stop himself from bringing it closer. He clasped his hands in front of himself and stared at them for a moment before taking a breath.

                “Merlin completed the scan of your wings and the necessary documentation. He entered the scans into the system and they brought back a match immediately.”

                Eggsy’s eyes widened and his breath rushed from him. He forced himself to swallow and closed his eyes. “And?” he asked, voice cracking.

                “Eggsy…you…I…” he sighed. “We’re soulmates.”

                Harry’s statement rang out in the room, leaving a deafening silence between them. A silence so profound that it _hurt_.

                Eggsy’s eyes snapped open and he looked to Harry who was watching him carefully. “W-what?”

                Harry reached for Eggsy’s hand and took it between both of his. “We’re soulmates, Eggsy.”

                Eggsy shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

                The hurt that flashed through Harry’s eyes as he slowly pulled back had Eggsy gripping onto his hand before he could take it away. Harry looked down, surprised, before his gaze snapped up to Eggsy’s face.

                “What I mean…is I don’t understand, why I’m just getting my wings now if you’ve had yours for all these years.”

                Harry sighed. “That’s what I was unsure of at first. But we have access to some interesting new research and fields of study. Merlin also has his own suspicions. We think that perhaps because the two of us had our first and only interaction-before I bailed you out of jail, that is-when you were at a very young age. There’s this theory that because you were so young, your wings didn’t take and didn’t reveal themselves, where mine did because I was so much older than you. Either way, there’s no denying the fact that our wings match and we have the scans to prove it.”

                Harry sighed and covered Eggsy’s hand with his own while he let all of the information sink in. Eggsy stared at him, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, completely shocked.

                “I-I…wow, okay. I don’t really know where to go from here. I have a soulmate. You’re my soulmate. What am I supposed to do with this new information, exactly?”

                Harry smiled and brought Eggsy’s hand to his mouth before placing a gentle kiss on his knuckles. “We can move forward however you’d like to. However fast or slow you’re comfortable with. And you continue with your testing. You’re getting close to the end now that it’s only you, Roxy, and Charlie.”

                Eggsy stared at him, unable to focus on anything but the soft feel of Harry’s lips on his knuckles. “O-okay,” he answered, voice cracking slightly.

                Harry smiled and squeezed his hand. “If you’re feeling up to it, breakfast is being served in the dining room or I could have some brought here for you if you’d like,” he said, with another brush of lips over Eggsy’s knuckles.

                Eggsy felt himself flush and looked away, swallowing thickly. “I’m sure Roxy’s concerned where I am, but…”

                “But?”

                “I wouldn’t mind having breakfast here. If you’d…if you’d stay.” He knew that he was probably as red as a tomato at this point, but he told himself that he shouldn’t care.

                Harry smiled. “I’ll be right back.” He squeezed Eggsy’s hand and stood from his chair, suit as pristine as ever before heading out the door.

                Eggsy huffed out a breath and let his head fall back against the pillows.

                “Soulmates, huh?” his chest tightened and he got a fluttery feeling in his stomach at the thought that he was soulmates with Harry. “Harry bloody Hart is my soulmate. I can’t believe this.” He wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.

                He heard the door open and saw Harry come back in with a tray in his hands. They locked eyes and he offered up a soft smile that Harry easily returned. He carried the tray over to the bed as Eggsy readjusted himself, welcoming the hot food as it was placed in his lap. His stomach let out a loud growl that had both men laughing.

                Eggsy smiled sheepishly. “Thanks, Harry.”

                “Not a problem, Eggsy.”

                The two sat in silence as he cut into his food and took several bites, calming the hunger inside of him. He ate quickly, the lack of conversation not being a bother. Eggsy sighed happily when he was finished with his meal and set down his utensils.

                “All finished then?” Harry asked.

                “No, I think I’ll just keep this empty tray on my lap for good measure,” he quipped, quirking an eyebrow.

                Harry rolled his eyes at him and took the tray with a huff. “I didn’t realize that you finding out the two of us are soulmates would bring down your defenses so quickly.”

                Eggsy put his hands behind his head. “Then you sorely underestimated me, Harry. This just means that I can be as snarky with you as I like. Although I wouldn’t think that you would expect anything less.”

                “That I wouldn’t. That I wouldn’t. I’ll run this back up to the staff and let you get dressed. We should head over to meet with Merlin and go over your next test. It’ll give you some time to prepare at least.”

                Eggsy nodded and bit his lip as he watched Harry walk out the door. He closed his eyes, still unused to this new development and the prospect of having a soulmate. Shaking his head at himself, he flung the blankets from his body and climbed out of bed, twisting and turning his torso to loosen up the muscles and wake his body up. He spotted his uniform on the provided table and walked over to pick it up.

                He stripped himself of the hospital gown and folded it neatly, setting it on top of the unmade bed. Thankfully, he’d been left in his boxers and didn’t have to deal with the embarrassment that that would’ve brought. He slipped his legs into his pants and paused to pull on a white shirt before slipping his arms through the sleeves and zipping the torso up. He sat down in the provided chair and slipped the socks and shoes on that had been left for him.

                Eggsy stood and smoothed down the wrinkles before adjusting the cuffs around his wrists. Giving one last look around, he walked through the door and headed out of the med bay and back towards the barracks, assuming that was where he would need to be.

                He stuffed his hands into his pockets as he wove through the hallways, mind still back in the room and focused on the news that had been revealed to him about his wings. As poor as his expectations had been and as worried as he was about the whole soulmate business and finding out who had a match to his wings, this whole thing didn’t turn out as bad as he would’ve thought. He could get used to having Harry around as his soulmate. It certainly made the whole Kingsman aspect of the deal easier and he wouldn’t have to worry about breaking that news to anyone else.

                “Eggsy!”

                His head snapped up at the sound of his name to find Roxy running towards him. He opened his arms and caught her, giving her an affectionate squeeze before pulling away.

                “Hey, Rox.”

                “Where were you last night? When we got back to the barracks you weren’t there. We thought something serious had happened to you when we woke up and your bed had obviously not been slept in.”

                Eggsy rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Promise me you won’t freak out okay?”

                “Why would I freak out?”

                “I could give you a whole list, but that’s beside the point. What happened was, Merlin drugged me last night an-“

                “He did WHAT?” she screeched, immediately pulling away from him, face furious.

                Eggsy frantically grabbed her wrist, forcing her to look at him. “It doesn’t matter right now-“

                “Doesn’t matter? What do you mean it doesn’t matter? He _drugged_ you, Eggsy. That’s not right. I highly doubt it’s legal and it’s certainly not ethical.”

                “I know and I was rightfully pissed about it, but just listen to me okay. It’s done anyway. It’s not like I can sue him for malpractice. This is Kingsman we’re talking about. So he drugged me and took me down to medical because he was getting really pissed at me for avoiding the wings examination.”

                “What? So he drugged you and conducted the examination?” she asked, disbelief heavy in her voice.

                “Yeah. That’s exactly what happened actually.”

                “Fucking invasion of privacy,” she snarled.

                “I know, but I got a match on my soulmate. I know who my soulmate is.”

                “And you’re okay with that?” she asked, eyes searching his face.

                Eggsy bit his lip and nodded, unable to stop the smile from pulling at his lips.

                “Eggsy! Who is it? Tell me,” she said, matching his smile and smacking his shoulder.

                Eggsy looked around the hallway. “It’s Harry.”

                Roxy’s eyes widened. “You can’t be serious.”

                “Dead.”

                “Well I’m happy for you in any case. Now, we need to get to the meeting with Merlin. We’re getting our next test and you know how he’ll get if we keep him waiting.”

                Eggsy fell into step beside her as the two of them made their way down the hallway. “I know. He’ll end up drugging me again and doing something else to me,” he said with a roll of his eyes.

                Roxy snickered. “In any case, I wouldn’t want to be on his bad side.”

                He raised an eyebrow at her. “I didn’t even think he had a good side. I just assumed everyone was automatically on his bad one.”

                She shoved him playfully and laughed again. “Come on, it’s just through here.”

                Eggsy smiled and followed her through the door. Charlie was already there, sitting on one of the chairs. The two of them walked past him and took their seats on the couch. The three of them sat in silence, Eggsy steadfastly ignoring Charlie where he sat. He had nothing that concerned him anymore now that he knew the two of them weren’t soulmates.

                Merlin walked through the doors and eyed each of them individually before handing out manila envelopes. He took a seat across form all of them.

                “Your next test is to see how well you handle field work. Your task is to seduce the person whose picture you have in the envelope-what we here at Kingsman refer to a honeypot mission. Think you can handle it?”

                Eggsy immediately began to pull open the flap on his envelope. “Should be no problem,” he said, pulling out a photo of an attractive young woman from inside.

                “I highly doubt that you’ll be a match for me,” Charlie said haughtily, pulling the same picture from his own envelope.

                “Well isn’t this going to be interesting,” Roxy said, showing that she, too, had the same picture as both of them.

                “May the best agent, win,” Eggsy said, feeling the familiar excitement of competition course through his veins.

                “The three of you will have a few hours to get clothed. You’re welcome to wear the clothes that you came here in or use the stores that we have available in Kingsman. Just remember that you’ll be going to a high-end club and be expected to play the part.”

                The three agents nodded to show their understanding before shuffling out of the room. Eggsy walked with Roxy back to the barracks where he pulled his street clothes from the cabinet where he stored them after getting his uniform. He went through the process of changing slowly, an odd feeling taking over him as he put on his old clothes once again. It was strange. He was so used to everything Kingsman that he’d forgotten about this little part of him that still existed. He hadn’t realized that he’d missed it.

                He sat down on his bed and watched as Roxy reappeared in her own stylish clothes. He let out a low whistle and she made a face at him which only made him laugh.

                “It’s strange, isn’t it? We’ve been here for so long and now we’re doing something that’s almost like a real mission. It’s exciting,” Roxy said, smile tugging at her lips.

                “Yeah. We should probably get going, wouldn’t want to be late,” Eggsy said, getting up from his seat.

                Roxy rolled her eyes. “We have plenty of time,” she sighed, standing next to him. “You’re only worried about being late to be early. But…I can understand your excitement in wanting to get out there and do this. Come on, we can at least wander the halls for a while before we actually need to leave.”

                Eggsy followed her from the barracks and they wove their way through Kingsman, staying silent.

                All three of the recruits were nearly vibrating with excitement as they made their way to the club, the pent up energy and excitement from the day trying to make itself known. They entered the club separately. Eggsy found the dimmed music, loud bass, and smoky atmosphere comforting. This was territory he was familiar with. This was something that he could handle.

                He began to circle the room, keeping an eye on Roxy and Charlie where they were doing the same. He lifted a glass of champagne from a passing tray and held it lightly in his hand, keeping himself from drinking it right away. Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and he watched with frustration as Charlie moved in on their target, taking a seat near her on a couch and striking up a conversation. He crossed the room quickly and sat himself down on an available couch, taking a sip from his glass and promptly making a face.

                “The champagne tastes like piss,” he broke in.

                Charlie rolled his eyes and Roxy stared at him, their target simply lifting an eyebrow.

                “Now here’s the guy that you want to watch out for. He builds trust by making a random statement to draw you in and seem friendly,” Charlie explained, leaning into their target.

                “No, I just think this drink is shit.”

                Their target nodded, not looking at all like she was buying anything they were saying. Realization dawned on Eggsy that honeypot missions aren’t quite as easy as he thought they would be. A figure who he didn’t bother paying attention to stepped up behind the woman and whispered in her ear.

                “Excuse me for a moment, I’ll be right back.”

                Eggsy smiled up at her and lifted his glass, taking another sip. The three recruits looked at each other and he opened his mouth to say something when a wave of dizziness came over him.

                “Shit!” he said, dropping his glass. “Rox…Charlie…we have to go, we’ve been drug-“

                Everything turned black before he even hit the couch. And really, Eggsy thought he should’ve seen this coming.

                Eggsy struggled awake, feeling not quite as fuzzy as the first time he was drugged, but it was definitely something that he wanted to stop repeating. He tried to bring his hand over to rub his eyes, but felt it tugged back before he could move it very far. Feeling panic rise in his chest, he tugged at his other wrist, horrified when that one wouldn’t move either.

                He shook off the remaining fuzziness as best he could and looked around himself.

                “God, how fucking cliché can you get,” he groused when he realized that he was tied down to train tracks. He looked up at the sound of gravel crunching and saw a man tower over him.

                “Tell me what Kingsman is,” he demanded.

                “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Eggsy said, defensively, pulling harder at the bonds holding him down.

                “You do know. What is Kingsman? Who are the agents that work for it? You know! Tell me!”

                The sound of a train horn caught his attention and he looked on with horror as headlights shined down the tunnel.

                “I don’t know what the fuck you’re on about!” he said, looking around desperately.

                The man scowled down at him. “I suggest you drop the act quickly if you feel like walking out of this tunnel alive.”

                Eggsy’s gaze darted between the man and the oncoming train. “Fuck you!”

                As it approached, he couldn’t take his gaze from the train car, closing his eyes at the inevitable impact. Air whooshed overhead and he felt his stomach drop out from underneath him. Chest heaving, and desperate to calm his breathing, Eggsy opened his eyes as the train horn became more distant. He looked around himself and found that he was being shifted back up onto the tracks.

                He looked towards where the man had been standing and found Harry there instead.

                “Wha-“ he asked, dumbly.

                “Congratulations on passing your next test,” he said with a smile.

                Eggsy grinned up at him as he made to untie the ropes around his wrists and ankles, letting out a breathy laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback, comments, and kudos are always loved and appreciated!
> 
> Find me on tumblr as my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look! Another update! Wooo!!! It's probably likely that updates are gonna slow down again before I get the next chapter up. I don't think that I'll have enough time to hash out another chapter before I have to leave for school, but we could all be surprised. Just saying, don't get your hopes up. :)
> 
> But enjoy this chapter, nonetheless!
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> <3 MOLIM

                Eggsy fidgeted where he was seated on Harry’s couch. After him and Roxy had passed the last test and Charlie had failed, Eggsy was still trying to keep the grin off of his face, they were told that they would have twenty-four hours to spend with their sponsor before the final Kingsman test. He wasn’t so much nervous over the fact that he would be going into some unknown test the next day and could possibly lose his chance at Kingsman, it was the fact that he had twenty-four blessed hours to spend with Harry. Alone.

                “I know that I probably should’ve cleaned up a bit more since I knew that you would be coming, but with all the excitement over the past two days, I never got down to it,” Harry said, returning to the living room with two glasses of brandy in his hands.

                Eggsy quirked an eyebrow at him and turned a skeptical eye to his pristine surroundings. “I think that if you wanted to get this place any cleaner, you would’ve had to sterilize it,” he said, grinning.

                Harry smiled and sat down next to him on the couch, nursing his own glass. Eggsy’s eyes travelled over the man and the more casual wear that he’d chosen to put on in his wake, setting aside the suit for once and wearing a soft-looking sweater and pressed slacks instead.

                “Harry…” Eggsy began and damn it all if he was really hating all of the insecurities that decided to plague him in that moment. Harry turned to him, gaze soft. “What happens if I don’t pass the final test tomorrow?”

                “Do you mean with you? Or perhaps between the two of us?”

                Eggsy stared down at the alcohol in his glass, feeling his face heat up at the fact that Harry was able to read him so easily and see past his defenses. He swallowed. “Between us,” he whispered.

                “I was operating with the understanding that we would proceed as we are now. You would obviously experience less of a threat to your health and well-being, but I wouldn’t cut you out of my life just because you didn’t make it past the last test. We’re soulmates, Eggsy. I’ve waited to find you for so many years and I’m not about to let you go so easily.”

                Eggsy looked up, eyes wide and was taken aback by how close the other man was. His eyes darted between Harry’s eyes and his lips which quirked up into a smile. Harry closed the distance between the two of them slowly, giving Eggsy plenty of time to pull away if he wanted to. Instead, he let his eyes slide shut and welcomed the press of lips against his own.

                He would have thought, after everything people went on about when they met their soulmates and got to know each other, that his first kiss would be electrifying. That it would signal some missing piece of him fall into place and make his world complete in a sense that nothing else mattered. But…none of that happened. It was wonderful for different reasons. It was amazing how soft Harry’s lips were as they moved against his own. It was electrifying when Harry’s hand came up to tangle in the strands of his hair, the move practically possessive.

                He didn’t feel as though some missing part of him was finally found. He didn’t even feel as though something he didn’t know was missing had been found. He simply felt cared for and cherished in a way that he hadn’t experienced from his Mum. And especially not from Dean.

                Eggsy sighed when Harry pulled away, nearly trying to chase his lips which drew a low chuckle from his mouth. His eyes opened slowly, barely registering the touch to his hand as Harry’s deft fingers pulled the glass from his grasp.

                “One moment, love. I’d rather not have the both of us getting brandy all over the carpet in our haste.”

                Eggsy flushed again, the pet name making him feel warm inside, but waited patiently as Harry set the glasses on the end table, safely on the center of the surface. He turned back towards Eggsy and pulled him close, not quite onto his lap, but near enough. Harry wrapped his arms possessively around his waist as their lips came together again. Eggsy tangled his own hands in his hair, messing up his perfect style job.

                They finally pulled apart, their need for oxygen greater than their desire to share kisses. Harry tightened his hold around Eggsy, almost as though he was afraid that he was going to pull away from him. Eggsy simply smiled crookedly and pressed their foreheads together.

                “Are you hungry?” Harry asked him, suddenly.

                Eggsy shook his head. “No. I’d much rather stay like this with you.”

                “Good. Because I don’t want to let you go just yet.”

                Eggsy laughed breathily. “You seem to be getting a little possessive over me.”

                “Can’t help it. I’ve waited so long for you. I can’t bear to part with you just yet. I hope that I never have to part with you.”

                Warmth bloomed in Eggsy’s chest. He had no idea how to respond to such meaningful declarations and instead of trying to stumble over his words and risk a misstep, he leaned forward for a passionate kiss, tightening his grip in Harry’s hair. Harry was surprised at the action at first, but quickly matched him movement for movement until he finally pulled him into his lap. Eggsy straddled him easily, letting his weight fall down onto his thighs. He bit down gently on Harry’s bottom lip and tugged gently, earning him a pleased grown.

                There was something dark burning in Harry’s eyes and it took a minute for him to realize that it was desire. Harry was attracted to him. Harry _wanted_ him. The revelation nearly took his breath away and he felt a strange warmth spreading across his back.

                “Eggsy,” Harry’s voice was a low growl that shot straight towards his lower stomach. “I really don’t want to push you into something that you’re not comfortable with and I think it would be best if we put a hold on that.”

                “Okay,” he breathed. “Later then.”

                “Let me make you something to eat, okay?”

                Eggsy nodded, but made no move to get off of his lap. Harry ran his hands up and down his back slowly, squeezing his hips and rubbing comforting circles on his back. He patted his thighs and helped him from his lap, standing from his seat and pulling him close, capturing his lips for another slow kiss. He pulled away and guided Eggsy towards the kitchen.

                “Is there anything that you feel like having for dinner?” he asked, looking through the cabinets.

                “I’m fine with whatever you’d like to make.”

                Harry hummed and took out a package of chicken, thinking through what he could make with it. He set the chicken on the counter and moved to take other ingredients from the cabinets. Eggsy sat himself down on one of the stools behind the counter and watched Harry move around the kitchen.

                Eggsy felt sated and content. His half-lidded eyes looked over the empty plates that were on the coffee table and hardly glanced at the movie that was playing on the T.V. He was curled into Harry’s side and had one of his arms wrapped around his waist, thumb stroking the skin on his side. He sighed happily, wishing that he’d never have to leave his embrace and return to the real world.

                “Eggsy…” Harry prodded.

                “Hmm?” he asked, eyes sliding shut.

                “Would you like to head up to bed?”

                Eggsy nodded against his shoulder.

                Harry planted a kiss on his head and patted his side. “Let me take the dishes into the kitchen and we can head upstairs. Would you like to take the guest room or stay with me in my room?”

                Despite his exhaustion, Eggsy felt his face heat up. “Stay with you,” he mumbled.

                Harry placed another kiss on his head and propped Eggsy against the back of the couch. He was gone for a few moments with the dishes before he worked to maneuver him from where he was sagged against the cushions. He leaned into Harry’s warmth as they walked through the house and up the stairs. They stopped inside of Harry’s bedroom door and Harry reached his hand up to take Eggsy’s hat off. Eggsy slid his jacket off and let it fall to the floor. He braced himself on Harry’s shoulders and toed off his shoes.

                “Do you want your pajamas?” Harry asked, knowing that his bag was in the other room.

                Eggsy shook his head. “No. I just want to get in bed and sleep.”

                Harry nodded. “Let’s get you out of those jeans and you can crawl in bed.”

                Harry kept his hands on Eggsy’s arms to help steady him as he undid his pants and let them pool around his ankles. He helped him step out of his pant legs and walked over to the bed. Eggsy pulled the duvet back and slid underneath the sheets, sighing at the soft mattress and the comfort that he hadn’t experienced in, well, ever. Harry planted a kiss on his head and went to change his clothes and brush his teeth.

                He turned off the light and slid under the covers with Eggsy, pulling him close to his chest. Eggsy draped his arm over Harry’s waist as his eyes finally slid shut, an unexpected warmth blooming across his back for the second time that night.                

                Fingers threading through his hair slowly pulled Eggsy from sleep. He hummed and leaned into the soft caress, enjoying the feeling of lips pressed against his forehead. His eyes fluttered open and he found Harry looking down at him fondly. He smiled lazily and brought his hand that was still draped over Harry’s waist to cup his cheek, stroking his thumb over the skin fondly. Harry turned his head and kissed his palm.

                “Feel like having some breakfast?”

                Eggsy scrunched up his nose. “I’d rather get in a shower first and put on some clean clothes.”

                Harry nodded. “I’m going to go down to the kitchen and make some tea. The towels are under the sink. Just holler if you need anything.”

                Eggsy nodded and watched Harry climb out of bed and leave the room. He bit his lip and fell back onto his lap, trying not to outright grin at the ceiling. He stretched his arms over his head and laughed, unable to believe that this was his life. Huffing out a breath, he pushed himself out of bed and walked into the bathroom. It was much bigger than he would’ve assumed and had both a full shower and a full bath, his mind immediately going to the kinds of things he could do in there.

                He turned on the warm water and let it run while he undressed. As he moved to pull off his boxers, he chanced a glance over his shoulder in the mirror and froze, breath catching in his throat. Eggsy frantically tried to get closer to the mirror, twisting and turning every which way to get a better view.

                “They changed color?” Eggsy breathed out, brow furrowing. “Why did they change color?”

                What used to be an expanse of dark purple, dark blue, dark red, light red, orange, and a dull yellow had morphed into something different. His wings were now a swirling canvas of light red, orange, aqua, light blue, and dark blue. He tried to reach his hand back to trace over the colors. Making a mental note to look up the different colors later and ask Harry about the possibility of his wings changing, he shed his boxers and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash over him and relieve the tension in his shoulders as his mind raced with ideas and possibilities.

                He stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, hair dripping. He spotted his bag on the bed and smiled, thanking the world once again for the existence of Harry Hart. He rifled through his bag and pulled out a pair of jeans and one of his striped shirts and a clean pair of boxers. He dropped the towel from his waist and pulled on the garments, leaving his jacket and hat inside. Eggsy stooped and picked up the towel, returning it to the bathroom to hang and dry as he headed out of the bedroom and down the stairs towards the kitchen.

                Of the many things that he planned to expect from Harry in his own home, finding him at the stove in his kitchen wearing an apron was not one of them. Wearing an apron over his suit sans jacket, was certainly not one of them. He nearly tripped over his feet at the image before a warm feeling bloomed in his chest. It was insanely domestic and Eggsy knew that this was something he wouldn’t mind seeing every day.

                “Ah, you’re here,” Harry said, looking over his shoulder. “I hope that you’re hungry. I do believe that I got a bit carried away with myself in the amount of food that I decided to make. It’s not every day that I have the chance to cook for more than one person.”

                Eggsy smiled, interest peaked at the light blush that happened to dust Harry’s cheeks. He never would’ve thought the man would’ve been one to blush. And he found it incredibly endearing. The loud grumble that his stomach emitted was enough of an answer for the both of them and left Eggsy rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

                Harry gestured to the table and Eggsy sat himself down, immediately reaching for the plates and bowls of food to pile his own plate with. Harry brought one last plate of bacon and a pitcher of what looked to be juice to the table before sitting himself down next to Eggsy and making up his own plate, watching closely as Eggsy took his first bite of food and all but melted because of it.

                “I didn’t know that you’d be such a good cook,” he said around a mouthful of food.

                “Well when you’ve lived on your own for as long as I have, there’s only so much takeout and ready-made meals to be eaten before you have to branch out and learn how to actually make something to eat.”

                Which brought Eggsy to the point that he wanted to talk about.

                “Harry I have a question for you. About soulmate wings.”

                Harry sat back and regarded Eggsy with interest, waiting for him to speak.

                “Is it possible for the colors of your wings to change? I mean, I know that it’s possible when someone’s soulmate dies. My Mum’s shriveled up…but can they change colors for other reasons?”

                Harry nodded. “It is indeed possible for a person’s wings to change colors. The shape and design stays the same for obvious reasons, but what people have reported is that the colors change as a person’s life and feelings change. For example, a dull yellow reflects caution or sickness. Perhaps the person had poor relationships in the past and is hesitant to form new ones, even if it is with their soulmate, but if their soulmate shows proper care and love and understanding, that color could eventually change to aqua which represents emotional healing and protection.”

                Eggsy sat back and contemplated Harry’s explanation. “Harry…”

                “Hmm?”

                “Do you…know a lot about what colors mean? Like, would you be able to tell me what the colors of my wings mean?”

                Harry smiled. “I’ve done enough research into it that I practically have every color’s meaning seared into my brain.”

                “Could you-could you tell me what mine mean?”

                “Of course Eggsy. We should have some time after breakfast. I’d be more than happy to take a look.”

                Eggsy nodded and returned to his breakfast, thinking and considering Harry’s words.

                He fidgeted on the couch in Harry’s living room as Harry took care of the dishes and put the remaining food away. He hadn’t been able to stop obsessively thinking about his wings and what this could possibly mean. He glanced up as Harry walked into the room and joined him on the couch.

                “Eggsy,” he said, reaching out a hand to place on his shoulder, “we don’t have to do this if you’re not comfortable with it.”

                Eggsy shook his head. “No. I want to.” He took in a deep breath and tugged at the bottom of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head. He closed his eyes and shuddered when he felt Harry’s rough palm slide over his back, tracing over the outline of the wings.

                “Do you remember what your first colors were?”

                Eggsy nodded. “Dark purple, dark blue, dark red, light red, orange, and dull yellow,” he breathed.

                He felt Harry shift on the couch behind him, hands still tracing over his back. “Yes. Dark purple-gloom and sad feelings; dark blue is knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness; dark red is vigor, willpower, rage, anger, leadership, courage, longing, malice, and wrath; light red is joy, sexuality, passion, sensitivity, and love; orange is strength and endurance; and dull yellow is caution, decay, sickness, and jealously.”

                Eggsy swallowed thickly and felt himself shiver, the meanings of the colors cutting straight to his core.

                Harry shifted again and Eggsy could feel his body heat from where he’d moved closer. “But now you have light red, orange, aqua, light blue, and dark blue. Light red is joy sexuality, passion, sensitivity, and love; dark blue is knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness; orange is strength and endurance,” he ghosted his lips over Eggsy’s shoulder. “Aqua is emotional healing and protection.” He placed s soft kiss at the juncture of his neck and his shoulder. Eggsy let his head tip back. “And light blue…light blue is healing, tranquility, and understanding.”

He kissed his neck again and Eggsy gasped softly before squirming around to face Harry. He took his face in his hands and looked into his eyes, feeling the emotions coursing, crashing, and exploding within him. Harry was only smiling at him softly.

“How is it that so much has changed so quickly?” Eggsy asked, nearly pleaded.

“Because when we are desperate for things to change, we welcome it and allow it to drive us forward through life.”

The tears that Eggsy was trying to keep at bay, welled up and spilled over. He leaned in and brought their lips together, wrapping his arms around Harry’s shoulders as Harry pulled him into his lap, not even caring that he was still without his shirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback, comments, and kudos are loved and appreciated. 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr as my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew. So I actually had this chapter fully written by Monday night, but I literally haven't had any time to sit down and edit it until right now. Things have been crazy all week with getting settled into uni in Scotland and trying to get everything that I need for the semester. That also means that updates are going to start slowing down now because my classes start on Monday as well. 
> 
> But here's an update for you!!! I hope that you enjoy it at least! :)
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> <3 MOLIM

                Eggsy ran his hands over his suit nervously, trying to smooth out the nonexistent wrinkles. He was gripping tightly to the lead that JB was tied to, careful not to pull on it and cause the pug discomfort. He pushed through the door into Arthur’s office and sat himself down on the chair opposite him. JB obediently took his seat next to him, not making a sound. Eggsy turned to look at Arthur who was looking down at him over his nose.

                “Your last test is to see if you really have what it takes to be the next Kingsman,” Arthur began slowly. Eggsy watched him as he pulled out a gun and handed it to Eggsy who took it carefully. “Shoot the dog.”

                His eyes widened and he looked down at JB who was watching him expectantly. He clicked off the safety hesitantly and pointed the gun at his dog aware of Arthur’s expectant gaze. He took deep breaths and tried to relax enough where he could pull the trigger, careful not to fist his hands or show any other sign of nervousness or apprehension. The months that he’d spent training him flashed through his mind, the amount of work they’d done together and how far their relationship had actually come. It almost felt as though his finger was locked, preventing him from pulling the trigger and ending this.

                If this was the last thing standing between him and becoming a Kingsman agent, then why was it so difficult? What was the difference between his animal and another human being that he might one day have to kill? If he could kill a creature that he’d become incredibly close to, then a complete stranger would mean nothing.

                “What are you waiting for? Do it!” Arthur urged.

                Eggsy turned the gun on Arthur who stared at him as though he were mad. His hand was shaking slightly and he finally let out the breath that he’d been holding, letting the gun slip in his grasp so the handle was pointed towards Arthur and the barrel faced the floor. He winced when he heard a gunshot come from the room next door.

                “I knew you weren’t Kingsman material,” Arthur said, grabbing the gun. “Get out.”

                Eggsy stood with as much confidence as he could and turned towards the door, only dimly aware of JB trailing behind him. He walked calmly through the hallways back towards the barracks to pack his things. His calm demeanor not even hinting at the crash of emotions that were wrecking him inside. He took a shaky breath as he pushed through the doors to the barracks and walked over to his bunk, one of the last two that still remained occupied.

                He gathered the few things that remained and stuffed them into the small backpack that he’d brought on the first day, his belongings still not taking up much space. He slung the strap over his shoulder and bent to pick up JB’s lead, hurrying back through the door and to the underground train that would take him back to the Kingsman shop. Back to the city. Back to Harry.

                The halls were empty as he practically raced through them. No one in sight and no one to see his desperate escape from the headquarters that would probably haunt him forever. He pushed through the doors leading to the room and nearly collapsed into his seat. The doors shut after him and he was off, on his way back to London.

                Part of Eggsy was expecting to find Harry waiting for him, utterly angry at what had just happened. Ready to shove him away and claim that he wasn’t worthy to be his soulmate. But no one was there to greet him. The area underneath the shop was blessedly deserted. He hurried over to the elevator and rode it back up to the floor, stepping out of the dressing room to an empty shop.

                He gave a curt nod to the man working the storefront before hurrying out the front doors and turning down the street. The shop was only a few blocks from Harry’s home, but it felt like forever, giving his nerves and dread a chance to build and nearly suffocate him from how worried he was. He nearly sighed with relief and collapsed on the sidewalk when Harry’s home came into view, yet his pace slowed until he was standing at the bottom of the steps leading up to his door and staring at it.

                Eggsy relaxed and tightened his fist several times to keep the tension out of his shoulders, ready to turn around when the door was pulled open and Harry stuck his head out.

                “Well come on then. I don’t expect you to stand out here all night,” he said, clearly exasperated.

                Eggsy took a shaky breath and slowly climbed the stairs, his dread returning tenfold as he got closer and closer and closer. He walked through the door and Harry shut it behind him.

                “Merlin already called me.”

                And damn it all if those four words didn’t turn his insides to ice. He swallowed thickly and shut his eyes. “He did?”

                He nearly jumped when a warm palm came to rest on his lower back. “It’s okay, Eggsy. I told you that even if you didn’t become a Kingsman, I wasn’t about to let you go that easily.”

                Eggsy bit his lip. He wanted desperately to look at Harry, but knew if he did, he probably wouldn’t be able to get his next words out. “I’m sorry.”

                Harry’s arm encircled his waist and he placed a gentle kiss on the back of Eggsy’s neck. “There’s nothing to be sorry for, love.”

                Eggsy nodded and Harry gave his hip a squeeze before stepping back. “Come on. I’ll make you some dinner and we can have another relaxing evening.”

                “Okay.” Eggsy watched Harry walk into the other room and head for the kitchen as his shoulders relaxed from their tense position. He toed off his shoes and left them in the entryway, leaving JB’s lead coiled up next to it. He gave him a scratch behind the ears which helped sooth him a bit before walking further into the house. He heard the distant sounds of Harry moving around in the kitchen and decided to head up the stairs to stow his backpack. He decided to be bold and set it inside Harry’s room, hoping that he wouldn’t mind. They had slept together the night before, after all.

                He walked back through the house and admired the furnishings in a way that he hadn’t the day before, taking time to look at each picture and painting. JB greeted him when he made it back down the stairs, letting loose a bark from where he’d already made himself comfortable on one of the couches.

                “JB…” he chastised.

                “Oh, he’s alright,” Harry called from the kitchen. “I used to let my dog up on the furniture. It’s no bother.”

                “I didn’t know you had a dog,” he said, walking into the kitchen to join him.

                “Every Kingsman candidate raises a dog.”

                “But…” he asked, brow furrowing in confusion.

                Harry gave him a soft smile. “The last test where they want you to shoot your own dog. The bullet’s a blank.”

                Eggsy felt his stomach drop. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he groaned, scrubbing his hands over his face.

                “Sadly, not.”

                Eggsy felt even more miserable than before.

                “After all, Arthur wouldn’t want to dirty the nice, ugly carpet in his office.”

                The unexpected comment startled a laugh from him that helped him feel a little bit lighter.

                “Thanks, Harry.”

                “Don’t thank me. I’m simply making an astute observation that any Kingsman agent has recognized during his time with the organization. I do believe the carpet was there when the headquarters were first built. Taken from the couches of one of the early agent’s grandmothers.”

                Eggsy chuckled and wrapped his arms around Harry’s waist where he was standing at the stove and held him close. Harry gave his hands a squeeze where they were clasped over his waist.

                “Alright,” he said, flipping the steaks that were in the skillet and nodding his head. “Dinner’s done. If you’ll hand me a couple of plates from the cabinet, I can put this together.”

                As Eggsy complied with his instructions, Harry slipped on an oven mitt and pulled some roasted vegetables from the oven. He plated the food quickly and handed it off to Eggsy.

                “Go ahead and take that into the living room and I’ll be there in a minute.”

                Eggsy grinned. “I would’ve thought that you wouldn’t be one to eat on the couch, keeping strictly to the table.”

                Harry rolled his eyes. “Shush.”

                He moved through the doorway quickly and headed to where they’d sat the night before, setting the plates down on the table. Harry followed him quickly with two glasses of water in his hands and cutlery gripped tightly in his fingers. Eggsy quickly moved to take something out of his hands to help him and they both managed to get everything situated without spilling water, cutting themselves, or dropping anything.

                Harry perched himself on the edge of the couch to eat while Eggsy made himself comfortable on the floor so he was leaning back against the front of the couch. JB came and curled up next to his hip, knowing well enough that he wasn’t going to get any food from Eggsy. The silence that descended on them was pleasant and not uncomfortable in any way.

                Once he was done eating, Eggsy curled up next to Harry on the couch, his feet tucked next to him and his head resting on his shoulder. He couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to what was playing on the T.V. Eggsy thought it was some movie or crime show, but he was more concerned with the soothing circles that Harry was rubbing into his side and the fact that he was holding him close. He sighed and let his eyes slide shut.

                “Tired?” Harry murmured, planting a soft kiss on the top of his head.

                “Mhmm.”

                Harry chuckled and Eggsy frowned as his shaking shoulders disrupted him.

                “I know just what you need.”

                Eggsy heaved an exasperated sigh. “Does it require me having to move?”

                “Yes, but only upstairs.”

                “Fine.” He reluctantly planted his feet on the floor and stood. Harry grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him along up the stairs. Eggsy’s steps were heavy, but he obediently followed Harry into through his bedroom and into the large bathroom. He furrowed his brow, confusion growing and not quite understanding what Harry was trying to do.

                Harry let his hand go and stepped over to the large bathtub, turning the knobs and letting a rush of water pour into the tub. He kept a hand under the spray, testing the temperature as it warmed. Once he deemed it suitable, he plugged the drain and allowed the tub to slowly fill. He turned back to Eggsy who was still watching him with a confused expression on his face.

                “Go on. Strip.” Harry said like it was the most normal thing in the world.

                “What?” he asked.

                Harry chuckled. “Get undressed so you can take a bath. Or it you don’t want me in here, I can leave and let you bathe alone.”

                Eggsy felt himself flush. “Umm. Okay.” He turned so his back was to Harry and began undoing the buttons on his uniform. When the top was undone, he pulled his arms from the sleeves and whipped the shirt over his head, letting it fall to the floor. Glancing to the side and not quite ready to take his pants off yet, he braced himself against the wall and pulled off his socks instead. He heard the water shut off behind him and glanced over his shoulder, relieved to find a generous amount of bubbles floating on the water, meaning he would be covered.

                “I’m going to go change into something more comfortable,” Harry said, leaving him alone.

                Eggsy breathed a sigh of relief and quickly shoved his pants and briefs down, leaving them in a pile on the floor. He moved over to the tub and stepped in, the water warm and relaxing. He sighed and leaned against the side of the tub, letting himself slide further into the warm water, and arms coming to rest on the sides of the tub. He heard Harry walk back into the room, footfalls soft and was welcomed with gentle hands running over his shoulders and arms.

                He let his head fall back and was rewarded with a kiss on his forehead. Eggsy smiled, letting his eyes flutter open to find Harry smiling warmly down at him.

                “I feel like I should be the one doing this to you,” he protested.

                “Nonsense. Let me do this for you. You’ve had a stressful day and should have some time to relax. Besides, I have to leave tomorrow.”

                “Where are you going?”

                “America. There’s a lead on the organization we’ve been tracking,” Harry said, reaching for a washcloth and the soap to work up a nice lather.

                “Valentine?”

                “Valentine.” Harry dipped the washcloth into the water and began to rub circles over Eggsy’s body.

                “As soon as you get back I’m going to give you a bath, Harry.” Eggsy could feel Harry’s smile when he placed another gentle kiss on his cheek.

                “Okay, Eggsy.”

                Eggsy continued to relax and all but melted under Harry’s ministrations. He was nothing but gentle and caring and kind and Eggsy was regarding the future with hope in that things could continue to be like this. As the bathwater cooled and Harry finished caring for him, he reached in the tub and pulled the stopper to allow the water to begin draining. When he returned to Eggsy’s side with a towel, Eggsy curled a hand behind his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss, trying to convey everything that he was feeling into the small contact.

                Harry smiled when they pulled apart and handed him the towel so he could stand and dry off. Eggsy watched as he gathered up his discarded clothes and bundled them in his arms. Eggsy stood and ran the soft towel over his skin quickly before wrapping it around his waist. He walked into the bedroom and watched Harry folding his things. He found the habit incredibly endearing and moved over to his bag, pulling out a clean pair of boxers and his pajama set.

                He slid his boxers on underneath the towel before unwrapping it and resting it around his neck. He quickly pulled on his pants and set the towel on the floor as he pulled his shirt on.

                “I’ll trade you.”

                He turned to find Harry behind him, holding his clothes. He exchanged his towel for them and packed them in his backpack as Harry returned the towel to the bathroom. Feeling relaxed and content, he slid underneath the covers and closed his eyes, taking the time to let the mattress pillow around him and support his tired body. He heard Harry flick the light off and it was moments later that the bed dipped as he joined him. A strong and comforting arm draped over his waist and pulled him close. He rested a hand on Harry’s chest and let sleep take him as a kiss was placed on his forehead.

                Eggsy groaned as he was jostled lightly. He forced his eyes open and found the room still cloaked in darkness. He looked up and saw Harry give him a guilty smile.

                “Sorry, love, didn’t mean to wake you.”

                “Is s’okay,” he mumbled.

                Harry tucked the blanket around him to try and keep the warmth around him. It wasn’t the same as having Harry next to him, but he’d accept it. However grudgingly that was.

                “I’ll be back soon, okay?”

                Eggsy sighed. “Okay. You better.”

                “Don’t worry.” He gave Eggsy’s shoulder a comforting squeeze and moved away from the bed. Despite the early hour, Eggsy listened as he moved back through the house, not content with falling back asleep until he heard the front door open and close. And even then, he couldn’t find it in himself to search for sleep, turning his face into Harry’s pillow to try and envelop himself in anything that would remind him of the other man.

                It wasn’t until the sun was high in the sky that he managed to pull himself from bed. He moved downstairs and made himself breakfast, finding a note and a key from Harry on the table.

 

_Eggsy,_

_I hate that I was forced to leave you so soon for this mission, but we both know the importance of Kingsman. If you’re comfortable doing this, I’ve left the laptop in my office on and you’re more than welcome to watch my progress in America so you have a better idea of when I will be back._

_With love,_

_Harry_

                Eggsy smiled and traced his fingers over the letters, certain that he had a ridiculously giddy expression on his face. He picked up the note and his plate of food and walked through the living room towards the door that led to Harry’s office. He made himself comfortable in the desk chair and turned to the laptop that was already playing the feed from Harry’s glasses.

                He watched as Harry carefully made his way into the church and took a seat amidst the congregation. He hardly paid attention since nothing was happening and the priest was simply droning on. That is, until Harry tried to get up and leave and all hell broke loose.

                Eggsy’s toast slowly fell from his hand as Harry effortlessly took out the congregation as they moved to attack him. On more than one occasion, he thought that one of the people was going to get in a lucky strike that would mean the end of Harry. The fight raged on for several minutes until Harry was the only one standing amidst the remainder of the bloodbath. He walked outside slowly to find Valentine waiting for him.

                Eggsy felt the bottom of his stomach drop out and gripped the sides of the laptop. He had a very, very bad feeling about whatever was going to happen. Valentine started talking about something and pulled out a gun, waving it aimlessly before pointing it at Harry and damn it that Harry was compelled to just stand there and take it. Eggsy didn’t even know what they were saying and he honestly didn’t care. He just wanted Harry to get out of there and be safe.

                His hands began to shake the longer the gun was pointed at Harry and he flinched when it went off. He was certain he was screaming, but he couldn’t hear it. Couldn’t hear it over the despair washing over him or the dread. Couldn’t hear it over the feeling his chest was going to rip itself apart thanks to his heart breaking.

                “You said you’d come back,” he whispered, collapsing back into his chair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feeback, comments, and kudos are always appreciated. 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr as my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is up a few days later than planned, but I was on a trip over the weekend and didn't have my laptop or the time to work on it and when I got back didn't have much motivation to write. But it's here now. At this point there's probably only a couple of chapters left until the story draws to a close. I'll have a better idea after the next chapter so I'll let you know what's up then. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the new chapter and excuse the wait. 
> 
> <3 MOLIM

                The hours following Harry’s shooting were a complete blur. He’d hurried back to Kingsman and convinced Merlin and Roxy that they needed to act fast in order to stop Valentine’s plot for world domination. By some miracle, all three of them had made it out alive and taken down one of the largest world crippling events in history. Eggsy never thought that he’d be part of something like this, but it was reassuring when it had all come to an end. The agents had started the cleanup and Eggsy had cornered Merlin in Kingsman HQ.

                “You really think he’s alive?” he asked.

                “I know he is,” Eggsy explained. “After Dad died, Mum’s wings became shriveled and skeletal. They’d lost their healthy look and became shadows of what they once were. Nothing’s changed with my wings. If Harry were truly dead, I think that I would be experiencing something far more painful.”

                Merlin sighed and looked down at his clipboard where he had who knows what pulled up on the screen. “Even if I tell you not to go, I’m sure that you’d find your own way there anyway. In truth, I’ve been compiling as much information about his disappearance as possible and think some of it might come in handy for you. I can get tickets booked for the next flight over to the States and have all of your paper work put in order.”

                Eggsy’s eyebrows shot up. “Wow. That’s…thank you.”

                “As much as he’s your soulmate, he’s also my friend. We’ve been through a lot together and I’m not about to let him off the hook while I’m having to deal with a barely functioning governmental organization.” He picked up a manila envelope that was sitting on his desk and passed it over to Eggsy. “Everything you need is in there. I expect you to come back with that son of a bitch in tow or not at all. He’s got to fill the positon of Arthur after all.”

                Eggsy grinned. “Don’t worry. I won’t let him get out of this one.”

                Merlin picked up a small bag that was propped up next to his desk. “I’ve also got any gear you might need right here. Now get going. A car will pick you up in front of the shop.”

                He gripped the folder tightly in his hand and slipped the bag’s strap over his shoulder before turning and walking out of the room. Eggsy honestly thought that he would’ve had to fight harder to convince Merlin to let him go, but the man usually was several steps ahead of everybody else in his thinking and planning. He turned the corner towards the transport tube and nearly ran straight into Roxy.

                “Eggsy!” she greeted brightly, smile morphing into a frown when she noticed the folder and bag over his shoulder. “Are you going somewhere? Merlin seriously can’t be sending you on a mission now when the number of agents Kingsman has is at a critical low?”

                “Not exactly a mission. I’m going to find Harry.”

                Roxy bit her lip. “Are you sure? You know, there’s no guarantee that he’s even alive. I know you’ve seen the footage.”

                “Trust me. He’s alive. If he wasn’t…I would know.”

                Slowly, she nodded. “Okay. I’ll trust you on this. But don’t take too long looking for him. I know we’d all like to have both you and him back here as soon as possible.”

                Eggsy pulled her into a hug. “Don’t worry. We’ll be back before you know it.”

                He pulled away and walked past her, taking his seat in the tube. As the top closed and it started off to London, he took a few minutes to glance over the information that was in the folder. He’d been given contact information for the Statesman agency that should help him track down Harry. He picked up the sheet with the information for his alias and why he was travelling to the States.

                Eggsy felt the tube slow and secured the folder and its contents in the bag that Merlin had given him before stepping out and making his way to the lift that took him back up to Fitting Room 3. The shopkeeper gave him a nod as he stepped out.

                “The taxi is waiting for you outside, sir.”

                “Thank you,” Eggsy said before winding his way to the front of the shop and pushing the door open. He hurried down the steps and slipped into the cab without a word, sitting back as it pulled away from the curb and took him back to the house.

                As much as it hurt to stay in Harry’s home, Eggsy couldn’t bring himself to find anywhere else to live. He sure as hell wasn’t about to go back to the flat he’d lived in with his mum and Dean. Besides, the house smelled like Harry. And as painful as it could be, it was also comforting. It helped to remind him that Harry was still out there. He was just a little lost and needed help getting back.

                The house was quiet without JB-Eggsy had left him at Kingsman when he’d first arrived at HQ-but it helped him avoid distraction. A notification on his glasses from Merlin alerted him to the fact that he only had a few hours until his flight which meant packing quickly and getting a ride to the airport. Dinner could wait until later.

                He hurried up the stairs and pulled the small suitcase that he’d found several days ago from Harry’s closet, leaving it open on the bed. He expertly filled the available space with several clean shirts and pairs of boxers, also managing to fit two clean suits inside and his toiletry bag. He rifled through the bag Merlin had given him and was satisfied that everything would make it through security intact.

                Eggsy reached for the umbrella that he’d left on the bed as well and carefully placed it inside the suitcase despite the tight fit. He’d really have to talk to Merlin about down-sizing the umbrellas when he got back or creating a different model specifically for travel. He pulled the zipper shut and pulled the suitcase from the bed, slinging the bag over his shoulder. As he walked back to the front door, he made sure that all of the lights were turned off and all the electronics unplugged since he wasn’t sure how long he was going to be gone. Satisfied, he gave the darkened foyer one last look before pulling the door shut behind him, automatic locks clicking into place.

                He retraced his steps back down to the waiting cab and left his case in the boot before settling into the back seat. The cab pulled away from the curb and turned towards the airport. He let his head fall back against the headrest and let himself take a few minutes to stop thinking or planning and enjoy the sound of the car as it wove its way through traffic.

                The airport was practically a ghost town. Eggsy had known that a large number of people had cancelled trips and chosen to stay in England as a result of the recent attacks. They either needed to do some minor home repairs or were too terrified to fly, afraid that the planes would be the next thing to come under fire. Kingsman had been working to reassure people through falsified documents-that had authentic data behind them-sent to the media that the chips that had caused the attacks had all been disabled and there was no risk for another attack, but it was always hard to eliminate the doubts of the masses after something so recent.

                Security was a little tighter than usual, but he made it through without a problem as he knew he would. He stopped by a small store and picked up a sandwich and a bag of crisps, glad to finally get the chance to settle down and get something in his stomach before takeoff. He reminisced briefly that this would be the first time that he was going to fly internationally. For some reason, he thought that it would be a far more momentous occasion. At this point, all Eggsy cared about was finding Harry and bringing him back.

                He spent the remaining time that he had before his boarding time looking over the documents that Merlin had given him more thoroughly. Arrangements had even been made for his arrival and he would be met at the airport by one of their agents when he landed at the international airport in Louisville, Kentucky. From there, he hadn’t been given any other information, but he assumed that he would be taken to their local headquarters or be put in contact with someone as they worked to track down Harry.

                Harry wasn’t suspected to have been able to travel to another state as he would’ve needed medical attention. Where he was hospitalized was uncertain, but Eggsy knew they would start at the closest hospital to the church and work out from there. Someone had to have a tip on his whereabouts or some form of information. In any case, the local police should have some report of a man turning up with no background or identification that he could look into.

                “First boarding call for flight number 23147 to Louisville, Kentucky. We are now accepting all pre-boarders at this time. Please have your flight documents out and ready to present to the attendant. Once again, this is the first boarding for flight 23147 to Louisville, Kentucky. We are accepting all pre-boarders at this time.”

                Eggsy slipped the documents back into his bag and pulled out his tickets as he saw the very few pre-boarding passengers make their way past the gate and disappeared down the walkway. Now that he actually took the time to look around at his surroundings, he really noticed how few people were on this flight to the States. From the conversation, most of them sounded to be Americans returning home from a pleasant vacation. Being abroad when Valentine had been assuming control didn’t sound quite so relaxing to him.

                He waited patiently as the attendant moved through the family and individuals that were in a wheelchair forcing the small number of people in the waiting area to dwindle even further. Finally, he was able to get up out of the small chair that he’d been in and made his way to the plane. Flying first class was never something that he thought he’d be able to experience, namely because he thought he’d never be able to afford it, but that was the beauty of Kingsman.

                Eggsy made himself comfortable in the nicely padded chair and enjoyed the privacy that the isolated cubicles offered. He raised the shade next to his window and looked out over the wet tarmac now that a light rain had rolled in and dark clouds hid the sky. He watched as other planes were tended to by the workers and prepared for takeoff, hardly listening to the pre-flight instructions that were being given by the flight attendants.

                The men and women walked past him several times before they were finally able to pull away from the gate and turn towards the runway. Droplets of water streaked across the window, almost halting and holding their own breath in the moments when the plane was waiting at the start of the runway, the engines powering up and preparing to take them into the air.

And then they were off, black asphalt speeding by before the wheels left the ground and took them up into the atmosphere for the next several hours. He let his head fall back against the headrest as his eyes slowly slid shut, the exhaustion of the past several days finally pulling him into one of the least fitful sleeps that he’d had since Harry left.  

                Eggsy blinked his eyes open slowly at the nudge of a flight attendant. Somehow he’d managed to stay out for the full eight hour flight, not that he was complaining. He’d needed it and he had a full day ahead of him so it was better to be well rested than not at all. He just hoped that the jetlag wouldn’t be too bad when he tried to get to sleep that night.

                He checked over his bag as he walked out of the gate and was satisfied to find everything still in its place. He pulled out his passport and had his entry card already in hand as he made his way down to customs. The lines moved quickly since there was a small influx of people who needed to get visas for the States and he made it through with little hassle.

                After grabbing his bag, he made his way up to the exit, looking for the person that was supposed to be meeting him. He looked around at the signs that were on display, starting forward when he saw a man in a bespoke suit and sunglasses holding a sign that had his alias’s name on it.

                “Mr. Smith?” he questioned at Eggy’s arrival, southern accent thickening his words.

                “That’s me. I assume that you’ve brought a car.”

                The man nodded and jerked his head to the side in order to have Eggsy follow. “The car’s waiting outside in the parking garage. From here, I’ve received instructions to take you to the local headquarters branch where we can go over all of the knowledge that we have in order to assist you in finding your missing agent.”

                “Thank you.”

                Eggsy stuffed his suitcase in the car’s boot and sat himself in the passenger seat, watching as the agent started the car and directed them out of the garage.

                “We’ve already checked the local police station data bases, but they have no record of an unknown person showing up with no memory or ID. Not that that means anything. He could’ve easily found his own way to a hospital to get treatment.”

                “That eliminates one dead end at least,” Eggsy sighed.

                He looked out the windows and watched as grass and trees passed him by. Soon enough, he saw the large buildings of a city approaching.

                “Your headquarters are in the city?”

                “Yeah. It’s a central location and it’s only a small branch. It’s better to be close to the city where the major hospitals and emergency responders are than out in the country. We can’t let ourselves get lost in all of the corn.”

                Eggsy hummed in response and watched as the sunlight streaked between the clouds and lit up the many bridges that spanned the river. They exited into the heart of the city and he watched as the unfamiliar businesses and buildings passed him by. Even in the city there was still so much more space between everything than in London. They found their way to an underground parking garage this time and parked in one of the darkly lit spaces.

                As he climbed from the car, the agent was already at the back, pulling out his suitcase. He didn’t even get the chance to take it from him, left hurrying after the other man into the building as he easily carried his bag for him. They stepped into an elevator and headed for the top floor.

                The doors opened to a wide room. There were a few people walking around, but none of them paid the two of them any attention as they walked towards a door at the end of the room. The man in front of him knocked forcefully twice.

                “Come in,” a deep voice resonated from within.

                The door was pushed open and Eggsy came face to face with an older gentleman seated at a deep mahogany desk. He stood as they entered.

                “You must be Galahad,” he said, extending his hand. “You can call me George. I’m the current head of this branch of the Statesman.”

                Eggsy shook his hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

                “From the contact that I’ve had with Merlin, he’s informed me that you’re here in search of one of your missing agents.”

                “That’s correct.”

                “As I’m sure you’ve been told. Nothing’s been reported to the police so far, but we think that we may have a lead in a local hospital. Several days ago, a man had been taken to a much smaller hospital further south in Kentucky, but was moved here in order to have access to the resources needed for an operation and medical treatment. The name that was given to the staff was Thomas Jones. We’ve inquired at the hospital for a relative to visit and they’ve scheduled space for you later this evening.

“You’ll be going under the guise of Frederick Jones and are his son. Until then, we have a room available on one of the lower floors where you may keep your things for the time being and freshen up after your flight. Abe here is going to escort you there and will be present in order to provide you any assistance that you may need during your time here in the States.”

                “Thank you, sir. I appreciate everything that you’ve done in order to assist Kingsman.”

                George waved his hand, dismissing the thanks. “Nothing that I’m sure you wouldn’t mind providing for us if we were to ever find ourselves in need over in the UK.”

                “Understood.”

                Eggsy turned and followed Abe back through the doors and to the elevator. Several people rushed past with small documents and there was quiet chatter throughout the room. It was a much different atmosphere compared to the one back at Kingsman, but not at all unwelcome. He couldn’t help but wonder what the other floors were hiding within this large building. They’d be stupid to not have the whole place to themselves, but Eggsy couldn’t even begin to imagine if there were any large weapons stored further down. He’d just have to wait and see. If what he’d already experienced was anything to go by, the Statesmen would prove to be useful allies in any case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback, comments, and kudos are always loved and appreciated. 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr as my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As some of you may have noticed, this is the second to last chapter of this fic. I feel like this story has come from a good place and will resolve appropriately in any case. But for now, enjoy the current update. ^.^
> 
> (Also I've been considering making a twitter as a place to give more frequent updates about my writing schedule or have a more casual place to interact with my readers so if that's something that you'd like, don't hesitate to let me know!)
> 
> <3 MOLIM

                The hours passed quickly in the Statesmen headquarters and Eggsy had used his time to get his things settled in the room that had been provided for him, which was much larger than he expected and not at all unwelcome. Abe had kept pretty close to him when they travelled down to the residential floor, but had left him to his own devices when he opened the door and passed over the key, telling him that he’d be waiting in the hallway if he needed anything.

                Eggsy took the time to set his suitcase on the luggage rack provided and even went so far as to shower in the private bathroom which was more than he ever expected to get when he arrived. He did force himself to avoid lying down on the bed, because he knew that as soon as he did he would be asleep now that the exhaustion from his overnight flight and being awake all day was catching up to him.

                He took the time to send a report back to Kingsman and confirm that he’d made it to Statesmen and was safely tucked away in their headquarters. He had just finished typing up the information about the lead that he’d gotten and sent that on when a knock came at the door.

                “Yes?” he called, slipping his tablet back into his suitcase.

                “Galahad, sir? We have a car ready for your departure to the hospital. The staff will be expecting you shortly,” Abe answered.

                Eggsy grabbed his umbrella and the keys to his room and slipped out into the hallway. He locked the door quickly and pocketed the keys waiting for Abe to lead him to the car. He eyed his umbrella once before turning down the hallway without a word, long strides eating up the distance between him and the lift while Eggsy hurried to keep up.

                The ride to the hospital was quiet, but thankfully short. As much information as the lessons at Kingsman had given him and prepared him to face any number of situations, it hadn’t taught him how to navigate the waters of awkward interactions with agents from other organizations. He’d have to suggest adding that to the curriculum for the new trials for Kingsman agents that Merlin would no doubt be holding soon.

                Abe parked in a car park next to the large hospital and killed the engine. They walked out of the garage and over to the hospital entrance, passing through the doors easily.

                “I’ll wait over here until you’re done. We’ve only received permission for you to go in and see him so they won’t let me pass.”

                “Right,” Eggsy nodded. He watched as Abe made himself comfortable in one of the seats before making his way to the reception desk where a man gave him a kind smile.

                “How may I help you?” he asked.

                “Evening. My name is Frederick Jones and I’m here to see my father, Thomas Jones,” Eggsy said, hoping that he looked the part of a bashful and nervous son wanting to see his father and not a complete stranger who would immediately draw suspicion.

                “Yes, yes! Let me just page the nurse who’s been assigned to take you back to his room. We’ve all been looking forward to you coming here. It’s not every day that we have such an interesting case. And with a foreigner no less!”

                Eggsy felt relief flood his veins and returned the worker’s grin with a tentative smile of his own. The receptionist continued to talk on and Eggsy dutifully listened.

                “Mr. Jones?” a woman spoke up at his elbow. He looked towards her and she held out her hand to direct him to a set of double doors. “If you’ll just come this way, I can take you to see your father.”

                Eggsy nodded and followed her into the clean, well-kept hallways beyond.

                “We were worried when he first arrived in the hospital and we had no way to contact the family, but were more than relieved when we received your request looking for your father. He’s been in relatively stable condition after the surgery and has healed up nicely so far, though it will take a bit more time before he’s fully recovered. Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to have had any memory problems and seems to have his wits about him like the trooper he is.”

                She paused, handle on the doorknob of a row of identical doorways. Eggsy was thrumming with nervous energy and excitement. He was more than ready to get through that door and see if this person was actually Harry. His Harry. As much hope as the information the nurse had relayed had given him, he couldn’t let himself be convinced until he saw who was sitting in the bed beyond this pointless piece of wood.

                “We made sure that he was roused before coming to fetch you so he should still be up and awake, but do try to be mindful of his injuries in that he is healing. I know that both of you are going to be quite excited to see each other.” She turned the knob and pushed the door open before stepping aside.

                Eggsy couldn’t see who was in the bed beyond as he was faced with a short entryway and he took the time to close the door behind him so that they wouldn’t be disturbed. He took a deep breath and stepped forward, nearly collapsing with relief at the sight that he was greeted with. Harry was sitting there and had been watching him intently at first, scowl visible on his face, but fell away immediately as soon as he caught sight of Eggsy.

                Eggsy rushed to his side and clutched at his hand that wasn’t connected to the IV. “God damn it, Harry,” he whispered, already on the brink of tears after a handful of words.

                Harry hushed him and pulled his hand free to cup the side of Eggsy’s face. He smiled gently and rubbed his thumb across the skin. “I’m so glad to see you.”

                “I’d hope so. Especially after I came all this way to find you. To be honest, I didn’t think that it would be this easy, but I’m glad that it was with how much I missed you.”

                “I am glad that it’s you here who’s come to fetch me rather than Merlin,” Harry conceded.

                Eggsy reached behind him and pulled the chair up next to the bed so that he could sit down. He gave himself a minute to look over the bandages that were covering Harry’s left eye, but aside from that he didn’t look any worse for wear. The nurse had said that he was recovering nicely.

                “Don’t think that me being here is going to let you off the hook. Everyone’s waiting for you to come back and Merlin expects you to take up the role of Arthur upon your return.”

                Harry groaned. “He does, does he? I never wanted to be Arthur and he knows that. Why would he put me in that position?”

                “Consider it him getting back at you for going missing after you got shot in the head and not being there to help us defeat Valentine and his plot to cripple the world’s population. Plus, Kingsman has hardly any agents right now and we need someone to lead the organization as it works to get its feet back underneath it. And since you’re the only person left with the most experience besides Merlin…”

                Harry winced. “The news that I’ve managed to round up with my limited abilities has not sounded pretty.”

                “Just think of it like what happened in the church, but with the entire world.”

                Harry sighed. “I can imagine what the cleanup is like for that.”

                “Well, you’re going to be doing much more than just imagining it when we get you back to England.”

                “What if the two of us just settled down here in Kentucky? I’ve found the southern hospitality to be quite welcoming and the food wonderful for the stomach. No one back home has to know.”

                “Sorry, Harry, but I can’t do that. I came here to bring you home and I’m not about to give up my spot as a Kingsman agent when I was already out of the running once before.”

                Harry let his head fall back against the pillow. “And I’m sure that Merlin is tracking your movements regardless.”

                “Even if he wasn’t, I doubt the Statesmen would allow me to join their organization or would be entirely welcoming to have a rouge Kingsman agent fucking around in their country.”

                Harry’s brow furrowed and he looked over at Eggsy with a frown. “Statesmen? You’re working with them?”

                He nodded. “Merlin made arrangements for them to brief me here and they were the ones that got a drop on your location in this hospital. So it’s really thanks to them that I got here so quickly. Who knows where else you would’ve gone off to without me. I’m certain you probably don’t have any of your things or the means to get back to England from here.”

                Silence fell between them and the beeping of the machines seemed to fall away into the background as they looked at each other. Eggsy kept his eyes on where Harry’s hand was now clutched in his own.

                “How did you even know that I was alive?”

                The softness of Harry’s voice took Eggsy off guard and he looked up to see a special kind of vulnerability in his eye as he watched his reaction. Eggsy allowed himself a small smile.

                “Well for one thing, I always assume that you’re tougher than it seems and that you couldn’t have died from that shot because damn it all if you wouldn’t let yourself get taken out so easily. And for another thing, something that you’re very obviously forgetting about and the reason we came together in the first place, my wings. They didn’t change at all like what happened to Mum after Dad died. So I knew. I knew that you had to be alive and were out here somewhere kicking like your life depended on it.”

                “I wish that I could kiss you right now,” Harry murmured.

                Eggsy squeezed his hand. “Later. My bed back at Statesmen is more than enough for two people. That is, if you can get discharged today?”

                “Considering I’ve been in a stable condition since the surgery and haven’t had any other problems, I don’t think that the staff will keep me now that my _son_ has come to collect me. I’m sure that they’ll recommend instructions for the healing process from here and give me requirements in finding a doctor in England to care for me as I work to make a full recovery. As long as I have the medical records, it’s nothing that the Kingsman medical staff will have any problems with managing.”

                A short knock sounded before the door was pulled in and the nurse from before walked in. Eggsy didn’t even bother pulling his hands away from Harry’s, knowing that to her it would simply look like a son finding comfort in his father, but to Eggsy it was a lover finding comfort in the fact that his soulmate was still alive and was _there._

                “Everything going okay in here?” she asked with a smile.

                Harry nodded. “Yes. My son and I were just catching up about the events over the past few days and were wondering if it would be possible for me to be discharged now that I have someone to care for me and monitor my condition.”

                She nodded happily. “Your doctor left me with some directions if that were the case. We were hoping that this reunion would let us send you home. As you know, and we’ve told you multiple times, your healing has been stellar and we have no need to keep you here any longer and your condition is more than sufficient for flying. Since you will be going back to the U.K., do you have a doctor that we can send your files or would you like us to send them with you?”

                “I’ll take the files with me, thank you. To avoid the risk of them getting lost if anything else.”

                She nodded. “We can have a copy of your records ready when you complete the discharge forms. Now, you will need to find a doctor that has experience in dealing with head injuries and facial surgeries. We’ll send a recommendation in getting a pain medication prescription, but with your progress so far, there is a high probability that it won’t be needed. Just give me a minute to remove your IV and shut down the rest of the medical equipment and then you can get dressed and head down to reception to fill out your forms.”

                Eggsy watched her move around to the other side of the bed and bend her head over Harry’s arm in order to carefully remove the needle in his arm. She pulled a piece of gauze and medical tape from her scrubs and placed it over where blood had come to the surface. She then turned to the machines and gradually shut them off down while removing the wires and patches from around him.

                “There you are,” she said, pulling the last thing free and stepping back. “I’ll leave you to get changed and when you’re done just head down to reception and they can take care of you.”

                Harry nodded and the two of them watched her leave. He pushed the blankets off of his legs and Eggsy stepped back to give him space to stand. He managed to get up without a problem and move over to where his suit had been piled. Eggsy could see some of the dried blood stains and was surprised that it still seemed to be in one piece. And then his attention zoned in on the back of his medical gown and the fact that Harry was very obviously _not_ wearing anything underneath.

                He felt his throat go dry and looked towards the other side of the room and let himself relax when he heard the bathroom door shut. He walked over to the window and pulled the curtains aside to look out at the sidewalk and the people who were walking by far in front of the building. He was glad that there was so much space between the sidewalk and the windows of the ground floor to offer the patients some privacy if they wanted to allow some natural light in.

                He turned at the sound of the door being pulled open to find Harry looking somewhat better now that he was wearing a proper suit again. “Shall we go, then?” he asked.

                Eggsy nodded and followed him from the room as they made their way back down to the main area. He spotted Abe as soon as they were through the doors and Eggsy took a seat next to him, letting Harry take care of the paperwork on his own since he’d come up with his own identity during this whole fiasco. Abe said nothing as they watched Harry chat amicably with the receptionist and scratch his signature on a handful of forms.

                Looking far too proper for the state of his suit, Harry walked back to the two of them as they rose to meet him. Abe led the way back to the car park and Harry took the backseat while Eggsy sat himself up front with Abe again. He hoped that would help to keep their relationship a bit more discreet.

                “I’m going to operate under the assumption that he is more than willing to stay in your room and we don’t need to prepare an additional room at headquarters. Do you have an idea of when you’ll be heading back to England?”

                Eggsy willed himself not to flush, but knew that he’d failed as his cheeks heated up. “I’ll get in contact with our operator back at Kingsman as soon as we get back to headquarters and let him know that I’ve found our missing agent. From there he’ll most likely book us plane tickets for tomorrow in order to get us back as soon as possible.”

                Abe nodded as he pulled into the underground car park below the Statesmen headquarters. “I’ll inform George. He’ll probably want to meet with you before you leave tomorrow so be ready for that debriefing session.” They walked over to the lift and rode it to the residential floor. “I’ll leave you two to get settled. If you need anything else, the phone will connect you directly to me.”

                Eggsy nodded. “I’ll inform you when I’ve received flight information.” He pulled the keys from his pocket and unlocked the door, letting Harry walk in first before shutting the door behind him. He turned to find him standing right behind him and stepped back against the closed door as he crowded into his space. Harry raised his hands and cupped the side of his face, pulling him in for a gentle kiss. Eggsy sighed into the contact and gripped Harry’s arms, holding him close.

                He pulled away and leaned their foreheads against each other. “I missed you.”

                “I missed you, too,” Harry said, looking deeply into his eyes. “I thought that I’d never be able to see you again and that was the last thing that I wanted. I’d waited so long to find you that it would’ve been a crime to leave so soon.”

                “I’m glad that you managed to survive. Now,” he said, squeezing Harry’s arm and stepping away. “I need to contact Merlin and let him know that you’re alive and well.”

                Harry groaned, but followed Eggsy further into the room. He sat down on the bed and watched Eggsy take a seat at the small table and pull a tablet out of the suitcase, tapping out several commands and getting to work. After a few minutes he set the tablet aside and turned to look at Harry.

                “I’m sorry that I don’t have a change of clothes for you at the moment. We might be able to get something better for you to wear tomorrow. Unless one of my suits would happen to fit you.”

                “I might be able to wear one of your shirts and possibly the pants, but I don’t want to risk damaging your Kingsman uniforms.”  

                Eggsy nodded and moved to say something else when a ringing emitted from the tablet. He lifted it and rolled his eyes before swiping.

                “What? Do you need to actually see him before you’ll believe me?” Eggsy asked, irritated.

                “Yes. Now just show me that he’s fine,” Merlin said, voice filtering strangely through the speakers.

                Eggsy flipped the tablet around and aimed it at Harry.

                “Still in one piece, I see,” he said tightly, but the relief was unmistakable.

                “Still alive, yes. I’m assuming that you’re going to have Eggsy and I on a plane back tomorrow morning?”

                “I’d be stupid not to. I need you two back here to help get Kingsman back off its feet. Now get something to eat and get some sleep. You have an early flight tomorrow.” Merlin immediately cut the call and Harry fell back on the bed.

                “Can’t argue with that, I guess.”

                Eggsy chuckled and set the tablet aside before pulling off his suit jacket and leaning down to undo his shoes. “I’ll call Abe later. For now, I just want to lay down with you for a while.”

                Harry smiled and pulled off his own jacket as Eggsy crawled onto the bed. He joined him quickly and wrapped him in his arms, closing his eyes and letting the world of dreams take him once again, Eggsy’s familiar scent finally quieting the restlessness that he’d been unable to escape since he woke up in the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback, comments, and kudos are always loved and appreciated. 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr as my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com


	10. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! Last chapter!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's read from the beginning or joined in along the way. This has been a nice, short fic to put together and I've appreciated all of the comments and kudos. 
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> <3 MOLIM

                Eggsy sighed as he walked through the halls of Kingsman once again. He rubbed at the back of his neck and tried to loosen up his tense shoulders after his stressful day. Now that Kingsman was finally getting back onto its feet, all of the agents were on double, triple, or sometimes even quadruple duty in order to cover everything that needed to be done. If Eggsy wasn’t being sent on some mission-and they tried to only address the most pressing matters with so few agents-then he was helping oversee the repair schedule for several business and buildings across London or working to help field other agents on their missions.

                Or, one of the most stressful tasks of all that he’d been given that day, was helping with the recruitment process for the new round of Kingsman agents. It was more of a training school than an interview where the number of new agents they took were limited, but they were still strict in who they accepted, only wanting the most dedicated and intelligent individuals to join their ranks. A bonus of the process was that Merlin didn’t have to handle the entire procedure on his own since none of the agents were sponsors and helped eliminate bias from the outset and fighting among sponsors or recruits. It didn’t limit all arguments, but it avoided ones based on class that Eggsy had faced when he went through the interview.

                When he and Harry had returned from the States, Merlin had given Harry a stern talking to about safety in the field and that he should know better than to go disappearing like that after all of his years working with the organization. When it was all said and done, he begrudgingly pulled him into a hug since he owed him after worrying him so much, much to Harry’s amusement. Needless to say, no one bought his reasoning. And Harry had taken him out to dinner that night to try and make it up to him.

                Roxy was happy to see him back so soon and even invited him out to celebratory drinks as they got back into the swing of things. He’d joined her eagerly and got caught up on the very few things that had happened while he was away and all the gossip in how Merlin had been faring. He even got the story of how ecstatic he’d become when Eggsy had informed him that his friend was alive and how shocked he was after hearing his voice again. It was a pleasant night out, but wasn’t long after that Roxy was being sent off on another mission.

                Harry accepted the role of Arthur much more easily than Eggsy thought he would, but he could also tell that he was doing his best to keep himself from complaining in order to minimize any further amount of wrath that he might get from Merlin. Eggsy thought the position suited him and he took control easily. He knew everything that needed to be done to reestablish the organization as well as help reassure the citizens of England that things were being done to prevent further attacks and the circumstances were being investigated, even though everyone within Kingsman already knew who had caused it. They just needed enough time to put together the necessary information for a believable cover that the public would easily accept.

                Despite the hard and busy work and lack of sleep that rebuilding Kingsman came with, Eggsy found that he didn’t really mind it. He was happy to be doing something and enjoyed being part of something bigger. He’d finally found his place in the world-in more ways than one, that is. And an undeniable part of that was because of Harry.

                Eggsy quickened his step as he rounded the last corner, knocking firmly on the large oak doors that blocked his path.

                “Come in,” a voice-Harry’s voice-called from within.

                He pushed the doors open, unable to fight the immediate smile that came to his face as he saw Harry sitting comfortable in the plush leather chair behind the desk that matched the oak doors. Harry looked up from his work and returned Eggsy’s smile as he always did when they were together.

                “Done for the day?” he asked, shifting some papers and files around and cleaning up the disarray his desk had taken on.

                “Yeah. Just finished,” he answered, walking into the room and bending down to scratch JB behind the ears when he hurried over to him. Now that Harry had a large office at his disposal and Eggsy was more often than not running around HQ all day or dealing with several different people, he’d taken to leaving the pug in the office. Harry had immediately enjoyed the additional company and having a dog around after so many years without one.

                “I just need to take these files back to Merlin in his office. Walk with me?” he asked. “And then we can head home?”

                “Absolutely,” Eggsy said, holding out his hand.

                Harry took it eagerly and JB trotted beside them as they left the office as it darkened and locked behind them thanks to the automated security measures. They were quiet, the only sounds being the echoing of their footsteps on the linoleum at the end of a long day. The last of the tension in Eggsy’s shoulders fell away now that he was reunited with his love, finally able to relax around Harry’s calming presence enough to enjoy the time that still remained after a busy day and looking forward to crawling into bed with him that night.

                The door to Merlin’s office was open when they arrived and he was looking at a wall of screens with video footage from that day’s training. Harry stepped over to him and Eggsy watched as they talked to each other and discussed whatever was in the files and the changes that would need to be over the course of the next few days or weeks. And as his eyes travelled over the relaxed stance that Harry held himself with, he recognized the newfound comfort Harry now had when going without any bandages over his eye despite being self-conscious about the minimal scarring that he had. Eggsy knew everything would be alright.

                Life would continue to go on and he had every intention of staying by Harry’s side for the rest of it. He was going to take advantage of every minute that he had with his soulmate because that was where he knew he needed to be. Knew that was where he was meant to be. And if the warmth spreading through his wings from the force and conviction of his feelings was anything to go by, then he was even more certain that there wasn’t anyone more perfect for him than the man standing in front of him, smiling at him gently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback, comments, and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> You can find me on tumblr as my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback, comments, kudos appreciated. 
> 
> If you want to come scream with me: my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com
> 
> BTW: 
> 
> Dark purple: gloom and sad feelings
> 
> Dark blue: knowledge, power, integrity, seriousness
> 
> Dark Red: vigor, willpower, rage, anger, leadership, courage, longing, malice, wrath
> 
> Light Red:joy, sexuality, passion, sensitivity, love
> 
> Orange:strength, endurance
> 
> Dull, dingy yellow:caution, decay, sickness, jealously


End file.
